The Lyonias
by AsianCutie93
Summary: AU, Ivan is injured in the woods and is discovered by a tribe called the Lyonias.  He learns about the history of these people, their rivals, and they grow to be his new family.  But will his feelings for the future leader blossom to something more?
1. Chapter 1

Is it stupid of me to start another multiple chapter fanfic even though I have two already that aren't finished? Yes, it is really stupid of me to do this. But this plot won't leave my mind and I feel the urge to write it.

Warning, this is an alternate universe fanfic, which means that it won't be in the setting of Hetalia and it won't be referring to them as countries. In fact, there will be a lot of name changes in order to fit this idea that I have. Name changes will be in the author's notes before the chapter begins.

**NAME CHANGES**

**1. Belarus' last name will also be Braginski.**  
**2. Latvia's last name will be the same as Estonia's because in this fanfic they are brothers.**  
**3. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Ukraine so I will call her Katyusha.**

Chapter 1

"Sister! Please! You have to keep going!"

The pale blonde little boy kept tugging at his older sister's arm, but the teenage girl was still on her hands and knees. The boy, only six years old, kept pulling, desperately trying to make his elder sister continue to walk. The snow around them was heavy as lead and soft as silk. Its pure white reflected the bright sunlight to mask its evil, for it was a trap that would lead the tired girl to her death.

"Vanya, a little rest wouldn't hurt. Please, my chest is making my back sore." she said. Her knees were growing cold and were buckling. The snow seemed to be threatening to consume his sister in front of his eyes. He sobbed, tears rushing down his cheeks like a flooding river.

"Katyusha! You cannot rest! A town is supposed to be near!" His cries were faint echoes in the young woman's ears. She started coughing violently, the coughs led to blood splattering over the pure white in front of her. Her eyes bulged, finally understanding what was happening to her. The soft snow that seemed to friendly and comforting to her stress, fatigue, and sorrow, was now betraying her and quickly turned to her younger brother to hold him while she stayed on her knees. The little boy had tears streaming down his round face, anticipating the news she was going to give to him.

"Ivan, I won't make it to the next town, but I," she paused a moment to cough. More blood came from her throat, "I know you can. Please, stay with me in these last moments."

Ivan understood what she was saying and hugged her tighter. The cold winds howled around them, and the young girl could feel her brother shivering. She also noticed that she wasn't which meant she was closer to death. With her life emptying out of her, Katyusha knew it was useless to keep her warm clothes. She discarded her gloves, the large winter coat, and the soft beige scarf that she made herself from their mother's old coat. Katyusha layered the gloves over Ivan's already gloved hands for more protection, her light brown coat over his own, and the beige scarf over his light pink one. The extra clothing did worry her into thinking it might slow the young boy down, but she knew that the extra warmth would greatly help.

The girl was so cold and numb that she didn't notice her nose as bleeding. The little boy could feel her grip loosening.

"Sister... big sister..." he whispered in her ear. A few tears escaped from Ivan as he pleaded "Please, don't leave..."

"I am sorry Vanya, please forgive me."

"Sister... oh big sister I will..." He tried to hold her up longer but her larger body still continued to slump. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before gently laying her in the snow, head down so that he didn't see the blood. Several more warm tears were shed for his sister, but he knew he had to make it into town for the both of them now and continued his journey.

They had come from a far away prison camp. It was from the Cold War era, but it was in an area that was slow to news about the government. While communism had ended ten years before the prison camp was closed, because of the harsh environment that the camp was in, it took the news that long to finally spread to that area. When the prison guards and the warden were informed that the communist rule had ended and the prison was no longer to be operating, they left, leaving the gates wide open for the prisoners, but they never announced the closing of the prison. Ivan, at four years old was very confused at what was going on, but he wasn't the only one. Many of the prisoners stayed in the prison, assured that the guards would come back and chase after those who escaped.

As time past though, their fears of the guards returning slowed. After the first year a handful of people left. They were mostly young men, who had no family to worry about and so they didn't have anyone to worry about but themselves. There were prisoners slowly leaving, taking their warmest clothing and braving the winds. Both of the siblings were waiting because Katyusha wanted to knit two scarves to protect their neck and ears from their old coats that were still scattered about the camp. It was about two years exactly after the guards left that they finally left and yet the prison still contained over half of its occupants when they had left. The other prisoners were either to afraid of the guards still or uncertain of their survival against the weather outside to escape.

"Maybe we should have stayed longer," Ivan said to himself.

The blizzard bombarded him with stinging pellets, but he breathed in the smell of his sister's scarf and was able to push on. The snowy background was almost blinding for the poor little boy, but he could smell the smoke that was what he pictured in his mind the smell of a functioning town. Ivan followed his nose, and walked in the direction of the smell. The deep snow held onto his feet as if it were a powerful quicksand, but the Russian boy trudged as best as he could and followed the smell. The smoke's aroma grew stronger with every step and he soon began to run.

"I will make it sister!" he declared and ran as fast as he could through the snow. Soon it was as if there was no longer snow under his feet, but an empty grassy field that was trying to propel him to his destination. The little boy could no longer feel the grip of the evil snow, the stings of the wind, or the pounding of the hail and blown snow. In his mind, he was finally being able to complete their dreams of escaping the prison camp. Ivan had a huge grin became wider when he could see puffs of white and grayish smoke to prove his hypothesis on the smell.

As he sped faster, he could hear water and saw that a couple meters from his was a small, clean river. He laughed and ran faster. The buildings grew larger as he ran faster. Ivan was running so hard to the point he couldn't even feel his legs moving anymore.

After a while, he noticed something odd about the snow under his feet and realized it was a plowed dirt road. He abruptly halted his feet to bend down and feel the soft earth that he didn't think was possible to be underneath the snow. The loose grains of minerals and soft soil made his fingertips tingle. The young boy pressed his whole hand against the dirt, happy to leave his hand print in something other than white frost. He giggled happily, but in a couple of seconds frowned. The boy wished to be able to cherish this memory with his older sister Katyusha, but no memories in the future could have her in it. Ivan's last memory that he got to have with her was at the age of six years old, he was clinging to her desperately as she was dying from the cold.

He kicked the hand print away, and walked slowly toward the town. Ivan shifted his hat so that he could walk while facing the earthy road.

The soft crunching under his feet sounded different than the muffled impacts that his feet made against the snow. It was another world to Ivan, for his feet have only made contact to two things, the concrete of the prison floors and the snow in the prison yard. The sounds didn't echo harshly as they did in the concrete, but they were much louder than pure snow. This world was different from Ivan's, it had a freedom from the limitations that he had lived with for a long time and weren't possible to break. Now, it was as if there was more sounds that your feet could make something he never thought was possible.

A voice called out to him.

Ivan turned away from the dirt, readjusting his puffy black hat, and followed the sound of the voice. It was a older man, though he didn't appear to be that much older than Katyusha, his eyes were much different than hers. His eyes were that of a father and a worker. His hair was blonde but it wasn't similar to Ivan's, more it was a golden color, and it was short and disheveled. The mysterious man grinned at him and dropped his shovel to walk up to the young boy.

"Hello, you are certainly new here. Who are you little boy?"

"My name is Ivan," Ivan replied honestly. He was scared to be so open with such a new person, but he knew he needed to if he were to survive.

The man smiled until he looked closely at Ivan's clothing. Katyusha's light brown coat had blood soaked in some places and Ivan without noticing, the little boy had some of his sister's blood on his cheek.

"Little boy, how did you acquire that coat?" the stranger asked.

Ivan frowned, "I took it from my sister while she was dying because she didn't need it."

The response only made the man tense and he slowly backed away from the little boy. He tried to not show fear, but he couldn't stop his twitching. Ivan didn't understand the stranger's gestures and walked towards him.

"Stay back! Stay away from me!" Ivan abruptly stopped and stared at the stranger. The little boy could see the older man's quivering and the fear in his eyes. It was the same as a prisoner who had done something to anger a guard. He had shown that kind of look to the older and more powerful men several times, but Ivan never thought someone would actually react that way towards him.

"Please don't hate me sir-"

"Just go away!" the man yelled. Ivan halted, and backed up until he was on the road again. The pale blonde boy walked down the dirt road again but this time with his head down and his hat pulled down so tightly that he couldn't hear. It was for the better, when he strolled into the quiet village, he knew they were scared of him. It wasn't hard to guess, for if a man much older than his sister and he, than the others would be scared as well.

As best as he could, he couldn't help but look up once in a while to see if anyone would show him kindness. Ivan wasn't surprised that there wasn't anyone to take him in, but that didn't mean that it didn't made him feel horrible.

Soon he was at the other edge of the village and there was only one family living in this part. There was an elder man, who looked to be about forty years old. The man had light brown hair and dark blue eyes that shined in the sun that was similar to a precious sapphire. He was almost six feet tall, but it was mostly due to his long, muscular torso. The older woman looked to be much younger than him, for she only looked to be in her early twenties. Her hair was down to her knees and a pale blonde that was exactly like Ivan's, but her skin was a ghost white that made the snow outside a cream color in comparison. Even with a dress that went down to her ankles, Ivan could tell that she had very long legs. The only child in this family that he could see was a little girl who was just a little younger than Ivan and looked very much like her mother except she had her father's eyes. Her eyes wandered to Ivan, but he tried to keep his head down and pull his hat tighter to his head.

"Daddy, mommy, look over there! There's a boy walking by himself!" the young girl shouted to them. Both parents turned their attention to Ivan and the father of the family walked to get closer to Ivan. Ivan stood still, expecting to see the fear of another person up close again.

"Are you hungry little boy? When was the last time you have eaten?" he asked. Ivan stayed silent, knowing the seemingly nice older man would find something scary about him soon enough.

"Why don't you come in? Come on, we have too much food anyways," and offered his hand out to the young boy. Ivan rubbed his eyes and looked again, to see the man's hand still out for him. He smiled and took the older man's hand, happy to finally find a home.

They walked to the house that once just held three people and the man opened the door. The older man immediately could smell that the food was nearly done and went inside first to check on it.

The house was a small wooden one that still kept the texture of the rough bark. Ivan stopped before the entrance of the house just to feel the peeling timber brush against his fingers. When he peeled this dark layer away, a few bugs scattered in all directions, moving in any way as to not get squished by the larger organism's hand. The young boy retracted his hand back fast at the sight of the bugs. Once he got comfortable, he touched the bark again, but this time it had a smooth texture. The surface was so clear of blemishes that Ivan could feel his calluses scratching at the wood.

"You are a strange one little boy. You seem so amused by my house, and you haven't even been inside it yet. Tell me, what is your name strange little one?"

Ivan blushed. "Well, my name is Ivan. I don't really have a last name. My sister and I didn't have a last name."

"Ivan seems like such a normal boy's name for someone so strange. Oh well, if you do not have a last name, then you will adopt mine. The wife and I always wanted a son and who can resist you?" the man grinned, picking Ivan up by wrapping his arms around his waist and hoisting him into the air.

"It's weird; my sister seemed to be the only one to think I was cute."

"Where is your sister little one?"

Ivan gulped. "She... she..." he couldn't stop the tears from escaping and the man immediately felt guilty.

"Don't cry Ivan, I am very sorry. You must already think I am such a lousy father. I promise that I'll be a better one for you. I'm sorry," he said, hugging the little boy. Ivan nodded. He really didn't feel it was the man's fault, but it was nice to be held. It was not as gentle or soft as Katyusha's arms, but they felt just as loving. It was so unusual to experience such instant love from someone. Ivan had thought that such things couldn't exist outside of family.

"Why don't you come in? My wife and Natalya are still probably going to stay outside and play. Why don't you look around and try to get comfortable here?"

Ivan sniffled. "So, I am really staying here."

"Ivan, you silly boy, of course you are. Would I offer to be your parent and my last name if I didn't want you to stay?"

"I guess not. Um... sir, you know my name so what is yours?"

"Oh, my name is Androv Braginski. My wife is Myrka, and my daughter's name is Natalya. But you won't have to learn my wife's name or my own, for you will call us mother and father."

"Okay." The man smiled at Ivan's willing to accept them so easily and set him down on the ground, but this time inside the house. Ivan took off his layers of clothing and removed his boots and socks so that they could dry and returned to the food.

Ivan took a step onto the dark wooden floor under him. It was just as smooth as the wood that was just underneath the rough exterior of the walls on the outside of the house. He took another step, hearing the wood creak and adjust to his weight. The wood, although a hard surface, seemed much more comforting than the cement floors he was used to in prison. He continued his tour of the warm house, noticing all the wooden furniture and the fireplace. The rust color of the bricks seemed to compliment the tan wood. All these different smells and textures were so different to him. He only knew of cement, metal fence, and snow when it came to buildings and nature.

"Why don't I show you to your room? You will share a room with my daughter Natalya. I am afraid that I didn't expect your arrival, so I couldn't build an addition to the house." The man laughed, now standing behind Ivan.

"You built this house all by yourself?"

"No, I had my brothers. I have five of them. You'll probably meet them sooner or later. Now, why don't I escort you to your room?"

Both of them held hands so that Androv could lead Ivan the way. It was the first door on the left down the only hallway in the house, where the only furnishings in the room was a large bed, three small pillows, and a blanket. The pillows were a beige color, and were deflated a little bit on the sides as if all the stuffing was in the middle while the blanket was a dark red that was faded from use. It was a large bed, enough to hold two adults.

Ivan had never seen a bed so vast. He walked to the side of it, inspecting it with a hard stare. The young boy approached it with small steps, his eyes still glued to it, as he poked it with a curiosity. He retracted his hand quickly, as it the soft furniture was going to turn into a monstrous creature and hurt him. When it didn't, the Russian boy pressed his hand into the thick blanket instead of just poking it. Ivan's mouth curled in a smile, and then he grew daring and pressed his face into the sheets. It was amazing, this soft cloth that he would have the privilege to sleep in every night.

"Why don't I leave you to enjoy your new bed? I hope it is to your liking, little one," and then Ivan's new father went back to the kitchen to attend to the food.

The Russian boy jumped onto the bed, inhaling its clean scent and rubbing his back into it with a heavy sigh. He twisted his body to roll, squirm, and tumble around over the bed, messy up his hair and clothes. Ivan was about to laugh when he saw flecks of dried blood fall down into the blanket and he started to think of his sister Katyusha. Her smiling face even as she was dying...

"I've never seen someone have so much fun with a bed before..." a quiet voice spoke from the door.

Ivan turned his attention to the entrance of the room to see the little girl that noticed him outside and led to this strange situation. She had a soft smile on her face, which made her seem even more beautiful than when he first saw her. The action seemed to make her eyes brighter in a room with little light and the small dimples at the corners made her even more appealing. When he continued to stare at her, the little girl blushed and backed away slowly.

"No, you don't have to leave. I am just not used to anyone that isn't my sister... Katyusha..."

"Oh, well I am Natalya,"

"I know, your father told me." There was an awkward pause. They were mere strangers just a couple of minutes ago, and now they were to live in this room together.

"Why don't you join me and tell me about yourself." Ivan said, patting the spot on the bed to his left. Natalya nodded and swiftly got to the spot that Ivan gestured.

"What do you wish to know?"

"Tell me anything."

Natalya paused. She rested her chin in her right hand and started to think of something to say to her new brother.

"I was born on August 25th, 1999, which means I am four years old. I have lived here all my life with my mother and father. My mother is home most of the time, while my father is a carpenter and is gone for most of the day. I mostly spend my time outside making snow angels and making stuff, for I don't really have any friends, except for this one boy named Toris that keeps bothering me. Other than that, life is pretty... ordinary here. I'm sorry, I don't really know what to say, my life is kind of boring." She blushed, not wanting to appear silly in Ivan's eyes. Although Natalya wasn't old enough to understand her feelings, she could still feel the knots in her stomach that she felt when she talked to him. The young girl looked into his lavender eyes and felt her blush now burn her face. She knew that some day, he wouldn't just be cute, but an incredibly handsome man.

"I think that is a fine life, and I can't wait for it to feel... ordinary to me too. Although you don't have friends... you have an older brother now."

They smiled at each other. Natalya suddenly noticed the dried blood on his face and clothes, and gestured to the door. "Why don't you wash yourself off in the bathroom? It's a little down the hall and it's the first door on the right. You can't miss it."

Ivan nodded and got up to wash himself...

Ten years have passed, and life in the house did grow ordinary to Ivan.

He attended school and became _friends_ with some of the boys, such as Toris, Raivis, and Edward. Toris was a lovely young man with shoulder length brunette hair and green eyes. His parents were from the country of Lithuania, but he had lived in the country of Russia all his life. The young man's skin was a cream color during the winter, but when he worked with his father in the fields his skin would tan from the weather. As with his skin, his attire changed as well. In school, the brunette wore a white dress shirt with some decorative blue embroidery at the edge of his sleeves and the front of his shirt. On top of the dress shirt was a light brown vest, that felt as if it were made of a suede material because of it's texture. His pants though were the same color as his dark hair, a fashion choice that made the boy more memorable in Ivan's mind than the others who matched their jacket and pants.

But it was hard to forget Raivis. The boy was the youngest out of the group; he was only thirteen years old. There wasn't much known about him personally, other than that apparently he was adopted from a small Baltic country when he was seven years old. Nobody really knew anything about the young boy and his family other than what they looked like. If it were not for the eye color and his curly hair, he could be mistaken for Ivan's little brother. His hair was the same color as Ivan's but instead of his eyes having a purple hue to them, they were the same color as the sky. He wore a dark brown jacket that was slightly worn at the sleeve, with matching pants that were also a bit tattered at the edges.

Raivis' appearance though wasn't the thing about him that stood out though, it was his constant shivering.

Edward, Raivis' older brother, was the biological son of Raivis' adopted parents. He was an intelligent young man, who seemed calm most of the time. The only time his emotion seemed change was when his younger brother was in trouble or when Ivan threatened him. His blonde hair was a bright yellow that reminded the Russian of the sun. Edward, unlike Raivis, wore a dark green jacket and pants, similar to what Ivan thought what the military might wear, but his skinny body deflated the image.

The day would start out with when Ivan left the door after getting dressed, eating his breakfast that his mother prepared him, and brushing his teeth. He made sure to leave the house early, much earlier than his sister Natalya.

Natalya truly wasn't his sister by blood and she was very beautiful. Her hair wasn't as long as her mother's, but it framed her face so perfectly as if she were a porcelain doll. Her bright eyes were still the same after ten years and her figure transformed from a little girl to a lovely lady. The problem with that was that she had developed romantic feelings for Ivan, and Ivan didn't desire that kind of relationship from her. He had accepted her as his sister, and the idea of being husband and wife disturbed him. Perhaps the young girl would recognize Toris' feelings toward her and leave Ivan alone.

After he walked out the door, Ivan would walk down the road to go to the Lithuanian's house. He would knock on the door, and be greeted by the teenager who was fully dressed but also had an apron on over his clothes. Even though Ivan followed this routine every day, Toris always had a surprised or shocked look on his face whenever he saw the taller boy.

"Ah, hello... Braginski... Um... how are you today? Would you like to come in?"

"I am fine Toris, but it is rather cold out today. I wouldn't mind coming inside."

The both of them entered inside. Toris would then remember his cooking and hastily return to it, making sure the breakfast for his mother and father wasn't burnt. It made Ivan smile; the shorter teen had the biggest heart and it was no wonder why Ivan liked him the most out of his friends.

"Phew, as least their breakfast isn't burnt. I turned off everything, shall we go?"

Ivan nodded and they would continue the morning schedule by going to Edward and Raivis' house. Toris would knock on the door this time, and would be greeted by Edward. Edward would reply back to both of them with a simple hello, while young Raivis shivered and hid behind him. Ivan thought it was always funny that the little boy was so scared of him, but that was probably due to the years of bullying that he had experienced. Though Ivan hadn't physically harmed Raivis for two years, it was hard for the body to forget.

All of them would walk to school together. Toris would ask him about Natalya, and Ivan would just shrug. With that simple gesture, the Lithuanian knew not to ask anymore.

Much to the tall Russian's dislike, he never really talked to his sister much anymore. He felt awful about it because he did love the young girl and she was an interesting individual, but ever since she loved him as a wife would love her husband, he hadn't been able to talk to her for a while. For four years, it had mostly been a relationship of avoidance and awkward situations. Ivan wouldn't even know what to say to Toris if he were to answer his question honestly.

Something broke the routine that day.

"Big brother, wait for me!" They didn't need to turn to see who it was.

Natalya decided to wake up early in order to spend time in the morning with Ivan. If she didn't know that her brother loved her, she would have suspected that he was doing this to ignore her.

"Ah, good morning to you, Natalya. It is nice to see you out this morning." Toris said with a small smile. He wasn't delusional. He knew the girl he loved and admired was in love with her big brother, but that didn't mean he would show her any disrespect.

The teenage girl didn't pay any attention to the brunette as she jumped and wrapped her arms around Ivan's neck. Instinctively, the Russian boy held her by wrapping his arms around her waist so that she didn't choke him to death, and turned his face to the side so her kiss would land on his cheek instead of his face.

"... good morning Natalya..." He gently let her down and pulled her arms away from him. Natalya frowned slightly but thought it was just her brother being shy as usual.

"Would you like to walk to school with us today, Natalya?" Toris asked. She nodded and gave her book bag to the brunette. Toris just smiled, happy to get some sort of acknowledgement from the pretty girl.

As they continued to walk, Natalya continued to cling onto Ivan. It was getting uncomfortable for the young man, before he thought up an idea.

"I will use the restroom. Please, go on without me." Ivan said, and ran off to the wooden area near the road. Natalya frowned at the sudden action, but did as her brother told her and walked with his friends.

He ran to the wooden area and continued to run even faster into it, making sure Natalya wouldn't find him. Ivan searched for a safe place to think, try to find new ways to avoid his sister. The tall teenager stopped running once he saw a steep hill in his path and sat on the cold ground to think.

Ordinary life in the prison camp was certainly a thousand times worse than ordinary life in the town. In fact, there were only two things in his life that troubled him, which were his sister's extreme feelings toward him and his parents urging him to find a bride.

Sixteen to him was too young to search for a bride, but it wasn't in their small town. If a person was twenty and still single, they were almost seen as an outcast. It was probably why his parents didn't shun Natalya's advances toward him. After all, they wouldn't have to pay a dowry for Natalya because she would be marrying Ivan and Ivan wasn't really their biological son so the marriage wouldn't be incestuous. Logically from that view it made sense to him, but his feelings said otherwise. Ivan could never love Natalya the way she loved him. He only saw her as the little sister who loved to make snow angels and helped their mother with the cooking around the house. The girl who was shy but once she did love something; she was devoted to it, such as her drawing, her love for her family, and her school friends.

There was nothing really flawed about Natalya. She was actually sweet, despite the way she treated Toris. There really wasn't anyone she acted rude to other than the brunette, but that was probably because she didn't appreciate his feelings toward her. Natalya was not only a good person, she was extremely lovely. Her hair was straight and silky to the touch. Her skin, even paler than Ivan's, showcased her best features which were her good bone structure and her big, bright eyes.

It was easy to see all the positives about Natalya and why his parents didn't see any problems for him.

"Perhaps I should just go back now. It is not like I can change this life," and he got up from the ground. His feet though, from the sudden movement lost their balance and he tumbled down the steep hill. Ivan braced himself from the impact, but he still hurt his right wrist and ankle.

"Ow... ah, why did that happen?" He asked himself.

Ivan looked at the hill that he just accidentally fallen from. The incline was too steep for him to climb with his injuries, and it didn't appear there was any other way to get back up. He surveyed the area, and noticed there was a cave only a few feet away from him. The Russian looked down at his ankle, seeing the slight swelling and sighed. Although it would be painful, he knew that he needed to seek the shelter of the cave.

"This is definitely not one of my better days"...

End of Chapter 1

Well, I hope you like this first chapter. It's going to be a very slow moving fanfic, and it's going to be a rated T for quite a while. Please read and review!


	2. Chapter 2

Well, hurray I updated! I have been writing a basic summary of each chapter so far and I know all the pairings up until chapter 20 and I realized… there are a lot of them! O_O

Pairings: Russia/America, America/Taiwan, France/Seychelles, Japan/Taiwan, Sweden/Finland, and others to be decided

Mentioned or Hinted Pairings: One sided Russia/Belarus, One sided Lithuania/Belarus, England/Belgium, Germany/N. Italy, One sided France/Austria, Austria/Hungary, One sided Prussia/Austria, One sided Prussia/Hungary, Denmark/Norway, Iceland/Seychelles, Ancient Rome/Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome/Ancient Greece, Germania/Ancient Greece, Switzerland/Liechtenstein, Turkey/OC, Spain/S. Italy, Sealand/Principality of Wy, and others to be decided.

... Wow… and that's just the first 20 chapters… and there might be even more after that...

**NAME CHANGES**

**1. England's name is just Art**  
**2. America's name is just Alf**  
**3. Canada's name is just Hew**  
**4. To my knowledge, Taiwan doesn't have an official name so her name is Mei**  
**5. Germany's name is just Luwd**  
**6. To my knowledge, Australia doesn't have an official name so his name is Tralo**  
**7. Sealand's name is just Petra**  
**8. Sweden's name is just Su**  
**9. To my knowledge, Belgium doesn't have an official name so her name is Bell**

Finland and Japan's name is still the same, except they don't have their last name.

Well, I hope that solved any confusion… probably not but here's the second chapter.

Chapter 2

Ivan awoke from his long nap that he took in the cave.

It was growing dark. The sun hadn't completely fallen, but Ivan knew it had to be very late. It was at least dinner time for the sky was a grayish color, which allowed some stars to wink and shine. He sighed to himself. The Russian knew that he ventured too far for people to find him so quickly. Any search party that formed when a person was missing didn't form until the person was missing for two days. Once they started the search, they only searched within half a mile outside of town and then moved further from there. Ivan knew he couldn't run very fast, but he knew that he was past half a mile from the border of town. Still, it was too early to give up any hope of being found. Perhaps one of his friends or maybe his family would find him early because they remembered he traveled in this direction in order to use the restroom, so he decided that it would be good to gather some wood for a small fire. Someone who was looking might be attracted to the smoke.

The motion of walking felt better on his ankle now that he wrapped Katyusha's white scarf around his ankle, tightening it in order to keep it in place. His right wrist though would just have to wait until the ankle was healed to get the same treatment, which was why he gathered the skinny twigs in an awkward one arm motion. Ivan would grab them with his left hand, and bring them to his chest so his arm pit could lock them securely in a hold so he could gather more. It was hard motion and he had even accidentally slipped a couple of the wooden sticks out of his grip, but he didn't want to irritate the injury on his other wrist even more, otherwise it could get worse.

"Well, I should at least be thankful that it's not as bad as when the guards first taught me discipline." Ivan said to himself.

This night was actually quite peaceful for Ivan's mind and body. He didn't feel the thumping of his heart that his sister gave him when she stalked him. The teenager also didn't have to worry about what excuse to think of in order to push his sister's attention away. In away, these misfortunes turned out to be an odd retreat from his problems and let him just enjoy the fresh air. Of course, for Ivan, he had to believe it was just a retreat. If it was a retreat, he had a better chance. A retreat meant that there would be an end and that life would continue as normal.

He shivered. What if it wasn't just some little vacation? What if this could be another thing that would become ordinary to him? A lonely life outdoors with no companionship whatsoever? Even prison was better; at least there were other people.

A heavy sigh came out of his lips. The Russian decided not to think about it and just enjoy the time outdoors. Ivan walked back to the cave with his left armpit holding in place a large bundle of thin sticks. He got on his knees slowly and gently placed the sticks on the ground of the cave, making sure not to let them scatter. Ivan kicked them lightly to push them even closer together but not too close to the point the fire could be smothered, and he pulled out the lighter that he kept in his coat that he used to scare Raivis. Once he was able to get a small flame started, he bent down on his knees again and pressed it against one of the sticks.

Soon one stick was engulfed in flames, the rest were quickly consumed.

Night finally came, and Ivan decided it would be best to just rest and look at the stars from the cave. The town that Ivan lived in was very small, only with a population of perhaps two thousand people in all, but even its artificial light made it hard to watch the stars. Here in the wilderness that was only a mile outside of the city though, the sky was flooded with celestial bodies. He could point out the star configurations that he learned from his school but there were still more stars that he couldn't account for with his knowledge. If Edward were with him, he would be able to account for every star in the sky that was named and studied.

Ivan frowned at remembering his _friends_. He would like to think that they were concerned about him, but considering the amount of abuse that they had suffered from the past, it would be very unlikely that they would miss his company. The teenager shook his head. How could he act so ungrateful? He may not have the concerns of three boys he went to school with, but he will always have the love of his family. The family took him in when no one wanted him. When everyone feared the wandering six year old for a misunderstanding, they didn't care. They saw him as a boy who desperately needed love after losing the only thing that meant anything to him, his sister Katyusha, and saw him as really a part of their family.

"Perhaps this retreat is not for me, but for me to reflect on my life and how selfish I am being... Perhaps I should just accept Natalya's feelings and try to develop some kind of romantic feelings for her as well."

A lone deer strutted by. The animal's front right hoof had a small cut and he couldn't put any pressure on it.

"Just like me," Ivan said and he then remembered his gloves. They weren't long enough to wrap around his thick wrist, but he could at least help the wounded animal. He quickly came to its side before it could escape from him, and started to wrap his gloves tightly over the wound. The deer was looked at Ivan with curiosity, not expecting any help from the tall boy. Once Ivan was done, the animal slowly pressed the wrapped appendage down on the ground. Ivan for a second thought the creature almost smiled at him because it could walk naturally.

"You are welcome to join me in the cave, the fire is very warm little creature."

Ivan walked back to the cave, the small animal following behind him. Once Ivan returned to his original spot, the deer took the place across from Ivan. Both of them enjoyed the fire and relaxed together. There were only the sounds of their breathing, but in a way, it was a silent thank you to the other for their company.

Ivan could see the eyes of the young animal slowly closing and he could feel his own eyelids growing heavy.

"Perhaps you have the right idea little creature, it would probably be best to sleep in this situation." With that being said, Ivan closed his eyes and lulled to sleep again...

The night was warm and peaceful for Ivan, but it wasn't for Natalya. That afternoon was one of the worst moments of Natalya's life.

"Where is he?" she asked herself, waiting outside the school for her older brother. The older teen was usually out of the building within ten minutes. Natalya sighed and sifted with almost eagle like vision through the students that passed to see if her brother had gone by. The stream of teenagers slowed, and then she saw a familiar brunette walking out. She didn't like the thought of talking to him, but Toris was her brother's closest friend.

"Toris! Do you know where Ivan is?"

"Uh, no... I thought that was odd too. I thought that maybe he felt sick and left home early."

"Maybe. I'm going to go check on him." As she was about to leave, the taller boy grabbed her by the wrist.

"Wait! I-uh... I will come with you. In case we need help, I can run and get it while you comfort him." He said, unsure if his excuse would work or not. Natalya nodded though, but retracted her wrist and started walking. The dark haired boy followed a few steps behind so as to not bother the younger girl.

He watched her hair, that usually gently swayed with the wind, swing back and forth in a hurried pace. Toris didn't know why, but the hurried motion just made him all the more want to reach out and stroke the soft strands. Her shoulders that stood proud and straight didn't seem different, but Toris could tell that she was stressed. Natalya's shoulder blades were never visible underneath her clothing, but the muscles in that area were tense and prominent. The shoulder blades jutted out in what he would describe as an unnatural way, but he knew he couldn't do anything to comfort her. As much as he wanted to massage them away, he knew that Natalya's heart would always be loyal to Ivan.

It was hard to see her so worried. This wasn't the young woman he was used to seeing. Natalya was a beautiful girl who when no one was looking had a small smile on her face. She moved like a swan, and was just as elegant.

"Come; let's see if he is home." She said; bring Toris out of his thoughts.

They went inside the log house. Natalya immediately went down the only hallway in the house, looking into the bedroom that she and Ivan still shared. The bed was still made, and none of Ivan's books were on the nightstand. She sighed, not liking the situation and checked the other bedroom, the two bathrooms, and the attic. She huffed in every room she checked. Ivan wasn't in any room of the house. Toris stayed in the kitchen, not wanting to crowd and make the young lady uncomfortable. When she returned with a deep frown on her face, the brunette immediately got up.

"Why don't we check the woods? It isn't unusual for him to go on walks." The older boy suggested.

Natalya then turned to the door and ran outside. She was running down the road that leads to their school. She remembered that she never saw Ivan in school, and that he might be in trouble where he stopped to relieve himself. She found the area and kept running.

"Big brother! Ivan!" She shouted. The young girl kept running, snaking around thick brushes of trees and fallen logs. Running mad that she didn't even know that she wasn't moving in a straight line anymore.

"Ivan!" The only sounds she heard were the echoes of her cries. Natalya slumped into the cold ground and gave a heavy sigh. Tears rolled down her cheek.

"Natalya... oh, man... you run very fast..." Toris said, finally catching up to her. He noticed her sadness and knelt down and held her. Natalya didn't care; she needed the affection to comfort her.

"Toris... it's not like him to be gone..." she said in between her tears.

"I know the situation doesn't look good, but remember why you love him. He is a very strong person and it would take a lot for him to be in danger," Toris reassured.

She nodded against his chest and they both decided to return home.

The morning came early for Ivan. It wasn't through his biological clock, but it was because of the little deer that he allowed to sleep by the fire. He felt the rough tongue licking his fingers in his right hand and he smiled lazily. There wasn't anything to do, since he still couldn't escape with his injuries, so Ivan lifted his left arm slowly as to not startle his guest and slowly stroked the top of the animal's head. It was peaceful sitting in the cave. The bitter cold of the morning that was a bother to deal with even in his parents' house was not even noticeable to him in this setting. His company was certainly enjoyable, a nice docile animal that didn't expect anything from him, and the air had the aroma of the trees surrounding them.

"It is amazing; I can see why you can live here peacefully without the need for a town."

There was a rustle from a tree near by that didn't seem important to the Russian young man. He tried to continue petting the little creature next to him, but the deer had tensed up and seemed scared. The next rustle brought out a twitch from the deer, and it began to run.

"Wait, why are you leaving?" Ivan asked, calling out for the deer. The deer immediately stopped, perhaps assured by Ivan's voice that whatever danger it sensed was gone, but soon a wolf struck the deer in the neck. The large gray wolf was probably a little over six feet long, and its golden eyes were hungry. Ivan held his breathe in fright when he saw the powerful animal's eyes on him while he bit into the deer.

The deer gave a soft cry, unable to do anymore than that as the life drained out of it. Soon, three more wolves had their teeth into the deer, trying to rip the herbivore's legs off with their strong jaws. The first leg ripped off was the one with the injured hoof that Ivan had wrapped his gloves around. The blood dirtied the snow, and it reminded him of his sister's death. Her voice was always sweet and he always pictured that their biological mother's voice was similar to Katyusha's. He wasn't remembering her voice but he could actually hear her voice telling him to stay with her in her last moments of life, and he knew that he was going to see death again.

The assault was over and the deer was bleeding to death from the gash in its neck and the wound from its severed leg. Its chest no longer followed the steady beat of its heart that moved up and down. The creature's tanned colored fur and the snow surrounding it was caked with the fresh blood and the only color around the deer was a bright red.

The wolves that killed the deer sat still. They didn't even sniff at the freshly killed deer; in fact, they turned their heads in different directions, as if waiting for something from the sky.

"Thank you my friends, you will be greatly rewarded later with the meat and bones," a strange voice said. Ivan averted his attention from the deer to the source of the voice to see it was an average sized man in deer skin clothing. His hair was the same color as his friend Edward's, a bright sun yellow, but it was wild. Wild not as in filthy, but it seemed to behave in a way as if it had no order to follow. The only thing that was odd was that his eyebrows were dark and thick, but it seemed to fit the unruly and untamed theme of his look. This man although medium in stature wasn't just any normal nomad. His skin was even whiter than snow and milk; it was transparent, similar to how Ivan thought an angel's skin would look like, but an angel didn't have the faded scars on its chest and arms. The Russian teenager noticed upon further inspection that many of the chest that was exposed around the deer skin clothing was covered in teeth and claw marks of different animals. There were the slashes that came from a large bear, the teeth scrapings of wolves, and even the hooves of what appeared to be a large buck, all scattered along his skin, and they were the only things that was dark enough to be compared to the color white that Ivan was used to seeing. The thighs of the powerful man were not seen, for the deer skin covered them, but if they were a similar to the strong calf muscles he possessed, Ivan knew that it would not be wise to challenge him in a fight. It was odd to see a real nomad. They were not anything like the pictures they would give in textbooks, or perhaps this man who an excellent exception.

Ivan's eyes were so transfixed on the man that he didn't notice the pack of wolves getting closer. The man heard their growls and he finally noticed the teenager staring at him. He called them off, his voice now commanding and booming, scaring the animals to the point of them whining like pups. The nomad's only reaction to their fear was a hiss and he walked over to the pale blonde. Ivan stopped any movement.

"The animals may not know the things that humans do, but they have good instincts. They know the smell of something unwanted. But it is not in my nature to judge so quickly. Come with us, we will not kill you for now." His green eyes flashed a serious look, showing Ivan that he wasn't opposed to the idea. His thick eyebrows helped express his dislike for him that he didn't say with words.

"... Okay..." Ivan said. He sounded awkward due to his body shaking. The other man nodded, grabbed the deer, and whistled for the pack of wolves. They obediently followed, not even giving the Russian a second glance. It was hard for Ivan to believe this was happening. Just hours ago he was following his routine and going to school, and now he was joining up on some sort of odd adventure with this stranger who made wolves cower in fear.

A sharp pain stabbed his wrist and he hissed slightly. The stranger stopped.

"If you are hurt, I will ask my oldest son treat your wounds. We have plenty of bandages waiting for us at our cave. If you need assistance, I can carry you."

Ivan blushed. "No! It really isn't necessary. I can walk and I will wait until we meet your son."

"Very well, but you must keep up with my pace. There are others who are not so friendly in this land."

The teenager's hear began to pound from the adrenaline rushing through him.

He couldn't believe this man was a father. When he thought of father, he thought of Mr. Braginski. His father was a strong man, yes, but he didn't have the strength to take on a bear or wolves as this stranger's body seemed to suggest. The schema he had of a father was an older man, who was silent, had weathered skin from long summers of work, and had hair graying at the temples. If this stranger was a father, he never would have suspected that he was a father of a child old enough to treat wounds.

Ivan started to examine the other man more. To his eyes, the man couldn't be older than thirties, unless the man had found something in the wilderness to retain his youth.

"We are here," and Ivan saw that just a couple of feet from them was a large cave that housed several people.

"Hew! This one is injured; please do the best you can with him."

"Yes father." Ivan's eyes bulged a little from shock. He never thought someone with such a timid voice would belong to the son of this man.

A young man, probably Ivan's age came rushing towards him, holding tan colored strips of what appeared to be gauze. He gestured for Ivan to sit at the edge of the cave so that he may wrap his wound. Ivan complied, still in shock. The boy certainly did look similar to the man. He had strawberry blonde hair slightly darker than his father's, though instead of it being wild and unruly, the son's was actually what Ivan would describe as pretty. The soft curly hair that the young man appeared just as soft and well kept as Natalya's, other than for a lone stray hair. His height (which was only maybe an inch shorter than his father) and larger upper arms suggested that he was indeed male, but his legs moved with the grace of a female ballerina. Even when he squatted down to treat Ivan's right wrist, he did it with a fluid motion that almost looked like a dance. His hands that were bandaging the wrist were long and slim, but they put the same amount of pressure that he thought someone with thicker and larger hands would put. The odd human being beside him looked at him with a shy smile and Ivan finally noticed his unique eyes. They went gradually from a dark blue to violet, and he had never seen eyes that had such a variety of colors in them.

"Don't worry, you can trust me."

"No, I trust you. This is just so new to me."

"Well, if you decide to stay with the tribe long enough, things will feel ordinary to you here."

Ivan nodded. The other teen got done bandaging and went toward the inside of the cave, trying to help skin and remove the deer's bones. The Russian decided to observe the group of people, not really knowing what else to do.

The father that he met before was lying on his side, stroking the largest wolf and pressing his face into the thick fur. It was odd to see the intimidating figure show such affection and it was also strange to see it toward an animal that still had some blood around its mouth. Ivan shivered, not wanting to observe anymore and averted his attention to the others. There was the son that he was briefly introduced to who was kneeling with a man and woman who both appeared to be of Asian descent. The Asian man was only slightly shorter than the teenager he met, but his eyes told Ivan that he was probably the a few years older. It wasn't that the Asian appeared old, it was that his eyes looked tired like a person who appeared to have experienced many hard times. Ivan went back to focusing more than the eyes, hoping that he could get rid of the bad feeling he had toward him. The new man's body was leaner and it looked almost hairless. If it weren't for the short hair and the extremely broad shoulders, Ivan might have assumed he was a woman. The Asian man's muscles tensed, and Ivan blushed, even though he didn't know for sure, he believed the man knew he was being watched.

He turned his attention to the girl next to the man. She had a small smile on her face as she was skinning, which made her face much rounder and more friendly. Unlike the Asian companion's, her eyes had enthusiasm and optimism. She looked up from her work to see Ivan watching her and she gave a cute wink before tending to the portion. Her dark brown hair looked similar to Natalya's, except that it was only a little past her shoulders and it had a delicate, foreign pink flower that was tucked on top. Ivan was about to ask where she had obtained such an object, but stopped himself in time.

There were others in what Ivan can clearly call the tribe. There was a large man with pale blonde hair just a shade darker than Ivan's and he had bluish green eyes. He sat, with no expression on his face and he was twirling some of another man's hair. The Russian found it odd but perhaps homosexuality wasn't a new concept that only happened in modern cities. The other man, whose blonde hair was being twirled, was sleeping against the other man, but his sleep didn't seem peaceful. His blonde hair which was almost exactly like Edward's except for the bangs was wet with sweat on his forehead. His pupils seemed to shift around in his sleep, changing his sleep from sometimes looking peaceful to looking miserable, and he was making some soft noises, as if out of annoyance.

"Hey, what are you doing stranger, just spying on us?" a high pitched voice asked. It was a young boy, who looked almost exactly like the father he met. He even had similar eye brows, except they were a dark blonde, almost a light brown.

"Petra, do no bother our guest. He is probably still bothered by his injuries." Another large man said, coming up from behind the boy and throwing the child over his shoulders. All of his features were light, his hair, skin, eyebrows, and even his teeth were whiter than anyone's Ivan had seen. The large muscles barely flexed, even when the little boy, Petra, started squirming and kicking.

"My name is Luwd; I hope this isn't too awkward for you."

Ivan shook his head. "Not at all."

"Mind if I talk to you then?"

It was a boy who looked almost like a perfect twin to the teenage son that bandaged his wrist, but instead, his hair (even the one out of place) was straight. The other difference was that his voice was loud, booming just like his father when the father asserted his authority over the wolves. Though, his sky blue eyes were so inviting that all Ivan did was slowly nod, not wanting to be rude.

"My name is Alf, what is your name?"

"Ivan... Ivan Braginski..."

"You have two names? Well, which one would you prefer I call you?"

Ivan was confused, but then softly smiled at the energetic teenager and answered "I would prefer the name Ivan." It was funny; it was only ten years ago that Ivan didn't have a last name and here in this world. Now that he obtained one, it became useless to him.

"Ivan... that sounds nicer than the other one. I don't think I would even be able to pronounce it well. So, what do you think of us so far?"

"What do I think? Well, I am certainly surprised that I was lucky enough to encounter you people."

"Well, if you're going to stay with us for a while, I might as well tell you everyone else's names. The weirdo who is hugging the wolf is my dad, Art, but he's always been weird, even when mom, Bell, was alive. The guy who bandaged your hand and is skinning is my twin brother Hew. He's really nice, but sometimes he's so quiet that I forget about him. Hahaha!"

Ivan smiled and chuckled a little as well. "Yes, he is rather quiet."

"The dark haired guy next to him is Kiku, and the girl is Mei. They aren't related, but they almost look it, huh? The lovey dovey couple over in the corner is Su and Tino. They are always together, but we don't care as long as it doesn't stop their efficiency as hunters. Then that little kid you met, you can probably guess is my little brother. He doesn't really look like us, but he looks a lot like dad. Dad always says that he can't at least deny that Petra's his. Everyone, well actually I, make fun of Petra for it sometimes but I can't help it. Petra is really fun to pick on. Let's see, who else, well you've already been introduced to Luwd, so the only one you haven't met is Tralo, but he's bathing in the river near by. Usually we're supposed to go in pairs, but Tralo is older than us and he's strong enough to defend himself."

"I see, well, what does he look like?"

"Well, he's tan because he likes to bask in the sun a lot, even when there is a lot of snow during the winter months! He's a really nice guy, and he's easy going. He loves to play games and just be cool. But want to know another thing about him? He wears a bandage on his nose all the time! I asked when I was younger why he wears it, and he just shrugged and said 'In case I break my nose', what a weird guy, huh? Hahahaha, but where are you from? Are you from the town near by?"

"Uh... yes, you know about the town?"

"Oh yeah, it's hard not to notice the smoke and noise that comes out of there. But it never appealed to me. It's great here, living in the cave and roughing it. I'm a real survivor, not like those other people in their little houses and whatnot."

Ivan felt a little hot from the anger slowly coming to the surface. "Oh, you are a real survivor huh?"

"Well yeah, no offense man, but that sprained wrist is probably the worst thing that's happened to you."

"You want to know what the worst thing that happened to me is?" Ivan paused to try to suppress his anger, but it wouldn't stop. "Before I tell that tale, I will tell you the first six years of my life. I lived in a prison; it is similar to a cave with multiple chambers and rooms. The difference is, is that there aren't many openings, and any openings were barred with steal and guarded by men who kept us there. Nobody went to prison because they wanted to, but because we weren't seen as human anymore. Why are we no longer human? We were not a part of the society's vision of normal, so instead of giving us the mercy of a quick death we were locked in there for the rest of our lives. Those openings I told you about, they weren't very large at all. So small, that people killed themselves by banging their head on the wall until they died from heavy bleeding because they were so depressed from being deprived of the sun or any light. Yes, I was a very lucky boy, I was young, and so I was only given ten lashes three times a day. My sister got fifteen, and she got that at least five times a day..."

Ivan wiped the loose tears, and then continued "I never understood why they took her into another room until I grew older. From the time she turned the fourteen, the other guards raped her and any woman who still retained some youthfulness. I remember as a boy trying to sleep, but the high pitched screaming, the sobbing, and the sounds of the slapping of skin was so frightening that I wouldn't be able to sleep until I stayed up for almost four days straight. My fear festered in me in those long four days; those screams frightened me more than the worst howls of any savage animal. Then there was the beatings that other prisoners would give to each other, in order to steal food. It was hard, but Katyusha and I were able to preserve at least half of our food to ourselves. Sometime we gave some to the still children that were still hungry. We both knew it hurt our survival, but it was hard to deny them when they knotted our clothes and begged with such weakness. Do you know what is odd my comrade? Even though I had been born there, I knew the food was bad. Funny how people will eat anything when put in that situation. There was watery soup that was flavored with rotting cabbage and old meat that the society couldn't use anymore. It was a hard life, your right; I am not much of a survivor. I only suffered broken bones, scars that would rip again and bleed, and depression from just the lack of feeling human. My sister was the one who truly suffered and had to worry about much worse ideas. Since she was raped during a time when she was already menstruating, she had to worry about the idea of holding her rapist's baby. Not only that, but worry whether or not that same rapist that raped and impregnated her also raped our mother and got her pregnant both times to produce us. Then if she got pregnant, she must decide whether she must choose me or the child. If she chose me, than she must let the child die alone and rot in the corner. If she chose the child, then they would die together, leaving me alone. Still, even after she endured all that torture... my sister, Katyusha, still had enough strength to put on a brave face for me."

Alf was silent. He didn't know what to say to this stranger's story.

"Now we get to the worst part of my life. When she was sixteen and I was four, the guards had all of a sudden left. We didn't know we were free and we even stayed in our rightful place and acted as normal because that was all we knew. They had broken us down so badly that we were like little animals waiting for our abusive owner to come back. It was only after a full year or so that people actually left. My sister and I decided that now that it has been two years since the guards left, we should be leaving too, and we were lucky to find a closet with the clothes of old prisoners when we were searching for some blankets. When we sorted through the large pile, finding things that would fit us and Katyusha spotted our mother's coat. It was too large for both of us and she decided to use some scissors left behind to cut out a scarf for ourselves. I had the little pink portion while she had the large white scarf that I am wearing right now around my ankle. We were happy. Once we had adorned ourselves in warm clothing, we ventured outside and walked. We were children who never learned of anything other than pain, so we didn't know that the nearest town was over fifteen miles. It was so cold that day, so numbing, but it was so bright. It one my first day truly seeing sunshine in its purest form. For the first couple of hours, I thought it was going to be the best day of my life, but after that, that's when the story gets dark. A blizzard came, and we could barely move. My sister was growing tired and she slumped into the snow. I begged for her to keep going, but she couldn't. She coughed and blood splattered onto the snow. I..." Ivan paused; he couldn't hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I knew she was dying... but I... I couldn't do anything. We shouldn't have left that day. We lived in a prison all our lives, we didn't know much about the weather and seasons other than what the older prisoners have taught us. She held me, gave me love even as she was slowing ascending to heaven. I lost the only thing that I loved that day... and I never loved another thing in the world more than her. To do so is a betrayal to everything she has given me. Please, tell me again comrade that I had not suffered, had not survived, and had no hardships. Please, I wish for a good joke."

"Man, why do you have to take things so seriously? I didn't mean it like that!"

"Than tell me! Tell me how you mean it?"

"I... look, just forget it! Go back to your town!"

"I will! I will do anything if it means I could forget your existence!" Ivan's eyes were filled with fire. He never hated someone so much that his body ached...

End of Chapter 2

Wow, Ivan's story is sad! O_O I mean, not as scary as Bloody Sunday, but from a human viewpoint pretty dang bad.

Well, how fun. The two people who make up the main fanfic pairing don't get along. But that's Russia and America for you.


	3. Chapter 3

Whoot! Another chapter is completed! Oh, just letting people know, there's a bit of incest and character death in this fanfic. Not in this chapter, but in later ones. Sigh. Yeah, there's probably a lot of things to warn people about that might be odd, but I promise this mostly focuses on the progression of Russia/America's relationship (which doesn't have any warning other than yaoi but that's not really anything serious).

Oh god I have about 26 chapters planned out for this thing and still counting. Why do I torture myself like this?

**Name Changes**

**1. ****France****'s name is just ****Franka**** (he's still a guy!)**  
**2. ****Spain****'s name is just ****Cerri**  
**3. ****Prussia****'s name is just Gilt**  
**4. ****Austria****'s name is just ****Roder**  
**5. ****Northern Italy****'s name is just ****Feli**  
**6. ****Southern Italy****'s name is just ****Lovi**  
**7. To my knowledge, ****Denmark**** doesn't have an official name so his name is Marco**  
**8. To my knowledge, ****Norway**** doesn't have an official name so his name is Nora**  
**9. To my knowledge, ****Iceland**** doesn't have an official name so his name is Ice  
10. Hungary's name is just Veta**

Poland's name is still the same, except he doesn't have a last name.

Wow, lots of dialogue in this. O_O I'm kind of not used to writing that...

Chapter 3

Tralo came back; his hair slicked back except for two flicks of hair out of place and the air around him was still steaming from the warm bath he had taken. His eyes were a milk chocolate brown but the sunlight made some of it appear a golden color. His lips were slightly lighter than the rest of his face, and they were curled in a smirk that seemed to say that they had a secret they wished to tell. The dark skin Tralo possessed had no blemish or imperfection, not even scars that Art had from battles. The only thing on his sculpted chest was the droplets that clung to his lean and muscular body. His only clothing was a deer skin that wrapped around his hips and flared a little to allow room for his thick, strong thighs. Under both of his arms, were large bundles of branches.

"Hey, I got something for the fire!"

"Ah, thank you my friend. Alf, help him!" Art ordered. It was the same way he commanded the wolves.

"Yes father!" There was no doubt that Alf was Art's son. The voices sounded different in pitch, but the way they commanded attention was the same. As much as Ivan hated to admit, it was hard to dislike this quality of the boy.

Alf took the bundle held by Tralo's left side and ran up to the mouth of the cave to start the fire.

"Hey Hew! Are you guys done with the meat?" Art asked his twin, arranging the dry wood for his fire.

"We're almost done."

"Well, why don't you let Kiku and Mei finish up and can you get some nuts and berries quickly to eat with the meat?"

"Okay." Hew said, getting up from his spot. He walked up to Ivan, and offered his hand. "Why don't you come with me? It's better than waiting here all this time."

Ivan nodded, and got up to go wherever Hew needed to go. The two boys started walking to the wooden area to the right of the cave, where there seemed to be nothing but conifers. Hew didn't seem too bothered. The Russian boy kept his confusion to himself and followed his shorter companion. They walked for over a quarter of a mile, but there were still no such plants that had any food. Soon they have to weave in between the thick growth in order to avoid walking into trees. The trees grew closer together to the point Ivan could barely squeeze between the branches. Finally when they got through layers of the thick brush, did Ivan see why Hew went this way. There was an area that had no trees, but short bushes that had dark red berries. The plants grew together, as if cuddling each other to avoid getting cold.

"Well, now you know a little secret about us."

"I know enough of your brother than I wish." Ivan snapped. Hew just chuckled lightly.

"Hey, he's actually been through a lot, you'd be surprised. Alf's actually freaking out now that he knows that he's the one becoming chief when our dad gets old and not me." Hew said, quickly plucking the ripe fruit off the bush he was at.

"Were you the one that was supposed to be chief?" Ivan asked, watching the other boy do his task. It was hard to believe that people saw potential of a future chief in him. Not that Hew was a bad person; he was actually the kindest individual of the group that Ivan had met. But Hew is too quiet and feminine, and he lacked the aura that commanded attention like his father and his twin brother. In fact, even the youngest brother, Petra seemed to grab more attention.

"I'm the oldest twin, actually, the oldest child by fourteen minutes. But my father said that he didn't think I had enough presence to be the leader of the tribe. This is fine with me considering that I used to be worried about that being my future. I really would want to avoid being banged up and marred like my father. Also, I don't want the pressure of having to produce a son or having the threat of being killed every day."

"Oh, I see. Well, I find your father rather fascinating. My father isn't nearly as... rough I guess the word is what I'd use. Do you really feel your life being threatened every day as chief?"

"Yeah, but that's the way you have to be to be chief. There are other people like us around, so you have to be alert and ready to fight. But he was different when he was around my mother. Now when I look back, I can truly see just how much my father loved her. Though, I think Alf loved her just as much. She was his protector when he was young and did stupid stuff. Every time he would sneak out when we were young or got hurt while skinning and doing other chores, our mother fully supported him. Ah, I'm sorry. I hope I am not boring you. I am almost done. I will just get some nuts from the other cluster of bushes."

"Not at all... um, Hew." Ivan said, blushing slightly because he had forgotten Hew's name for a second.

"Let's go back now. Um, sorry, I think I picked too much. Can you hold some of them while we go back? Just until we get past the dense area-"

"Oh no, it's alright, you don't need an excuse. I should be of some assistance since you people were kind enough to let me stay with you." Ivan carefully grabbed a couple handfuls of nuts and fruits, and the two continued their way back to the cave. Once they got past the dense growth of trees, they started to talk again.

"I know that you and my brother probably didn't get a good start on your relationship, but please don't hate him."

"I... okay, I do hate him right now. But it's because of-"

"I overheard. Alf's doesn't really mean any harm to people at all. He's really one of the most comforting people to talk to about those kinds of memories. Sometimes... we talk about mom together and we comfort each other."

Ivan sighed. He had acted rather immaturely to the situation but he still didn't know if he was going to apologize to Alf.

The smell of meat over the fire filled both their noses, and they quickened their pace. The Russian boy spotted Alf poking the meat with a stick, making sure each piece was cooking evenly. Su, the large, pale blonde man with blue green eyes was calmly weaving thin strips of wood together, making something that resembled a plate. The smaller man that was sleeping before, Tino was watching him with a small smile on his face. Now that Tino appeared much more comfortable, he looked similar to an angel. His face had a slight flush of color that made his cheeks rosy and full looking. If it were not for his long legs, he could resemble the small angels that were in the paintings in the town church.

"Kiku, why don't you sit next to me? It's warm under the blanket." It was from Mei, the only woman in the tribe. Kiku shook his head furiously, a red blush not only on his cheeks, but all over his face.

"Mei, you are supposed to be Alf's. Don't request such scandalous things!"

Ivan didn't understand what the two meant so he ignored them. Luwd with his large arms motioned for Ivan to come to him. The Russian teenager did so, careful not to drop any of the handed picked fruits and nuts. There was a weaved wooden basket similar to what Su was crafting, except that the basket had a matching lid and it was about two feet tall and a foot wide. Ivan was impressed with the craftsmanship. There were even darker pieces of wood that made the trim, making the piece look more like a decorative than an actual functioning basket. He dropped the fruit into the medium sized basket and sat down next to Luwd.

"Ah, poor Kiku. It is kind of awkward when your best friend's future wife has a crush on you."

"Huh?" Ivan reacted. He still didn't understand the dynamics of their group yet.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just thinking out loud." The older man explained. Hew came by and put his share of gathered food and dropped it into the basket. The older twin brother sat down next to Ivan, and told the two of them dinner was almost done. The other teen nodded and contemplated whether or not he should ask Hew to help clear his confusion about the tribe and everyone's relationships. Ivan was sure that the young man would be honest with him, and give him all the details, but he didn't know it would be rude of him to ask. The Russian was just a wounded stranger that already owed them so much, and he didn't need to bother them anymore than he already has.

"Kiku, I'm not his wife yet. Plus, I don't have to force myself into that kind of life. I still have a choice."

"But you should think about not just your survival, but my own. Don't jeopardize my life like this!"

Hew sighed. "She never gives up." He turned to Ivan and asked, "Have you ever had to deal with a stubborn girl before?" Ivan instantly thought of his sister Natalya and blushed. He had forgotten about Natalya and her strong affections towards him. How she would sniff his pillows for the scent of his hair and would stalk him even when he was out with his friends. Ivan realized that he didn't think of his friends since he got to the home of these strangers. His mind had even strayed from all of his adopted family that he used to be so concerned about. It was humorous and sad at the same time. How could he forget the people that obviously loved him very much? Was he really this cold hearted?

"Hey, are you okay?" Hew asked, waving his hand in front of Ivan's face.

"Uh, yes. I was just thinking of my sister. She too had a strange... obsession for me. I understand how Kiku feels."

"That's kind of weird, not meaning to judge, but isn't that incest?"

"Not really, she and her family adopted me. It's not as awkward as it sounds."

"Then why does it sound awkward from you?" Ivan didn't even feel any doubt about his answer to Hew's question.

"Because I don't feel the same." Ivan answered honestly, feeling secure about telling Hew about it. Hew nodded. "That's why I was glad when I didn't have to be chief anymore. I am not into girls, but Alf appears to be that way. I think he would be a good leader just like my father."

"I'm not homosexual Hew." Ivan snapped.

"I'm sure you're not, I'm just saying that I am. No need to get worked up," Hew laughed. Ivan realized how foolish he must have sounded and laughed as well. It wasn't as if Hew looked like the type of person to openly flirt or do anything to make someone uncomfortable. Nor did he seem to be someone who would take advantage of an individual who appeared to be vulnerable. The young man had only shown kindness to him since the moment he arrived. Perhaps he was being too defensive here. Ivan wasn't judging them so why should he believe that they were judging him? Why did he feel so insecure being with these people?

"Food's done! Tino, Kiku, do you think you can help be distribute the food?" Alf called out. The two nodded and got up to what Ivan assumed as lunch time for these people. Tino passed out woven plates to everyone, giving the new one that Su was working on to Ivan. Kiku grabbed the basket that held the mix of fruits and nuts and gave about two handfuls to everyone. When his eyes that were tired from dealing with Mei looked at Ivan, the Russian boy shivered. He definitely understood why Kiku eyes looked the way they did. The older man probably had his troubles of coming up with ways to avoid the young lady and strange paranoid thoughts of Mei possibly doing awkward things to him while he slept. He averted his eyes instead on the food, not wanting to look at the eyes that shared the same frustration.

Alf came, with chunks of the cooked meat on a large woven platter and used a tongs made of two strips of wood to pass out everyone's portions. When he came to Ivan's plate, he had a noticeable frown and asked him how much.

"Just a little bit. I was friends with the deer," Ivan said softly. Alf nodded and placed only enough meat to cover about a fourth of Ivan's plate. Even if Ivan didn't know the animal, he still probably wouldn't have eaten much more than the portion given to him. He wasn't accustomed to eating large pieces of meat.

The deer meat was in thin strips, which allowed eating without a knife. They made the plate a little damp, showing how they still retained some of the juices. Ivan made sure to ignore the thought that the meat was from the deer that comforted him that night and ate them quickly. It was different from the beef and pork that they sold in the butcher shop in the town. It tasted like it was marinated in the grasses and fruits that were local to the area, giving it a refreshing and light taste. Ivan found it quite delicious.

The berries were very sweet, almost as if they were covered in sugar. It surprised Ivan that the fruit tasted so sweet. They were a dark red or almost purple color and looked as if they were small spheres that clustered together. They weren't anything like the fruits that Ivan was used to such as oranges and pears, but he really enjoyed them. He hoped that his brain had formed a cognitive map of how to get back to the berries again so he could delight in more. Nuts were the last part of his great meal. They had a slightly bitter after taste, but they were still very good. Once Ivan had gotten done with his food, Tino immediately came by his side and asked if he wanted more. The Russian declined and the smaller man took his plate.

Ivan noticed that Alf was still eating and decided as his father would say "patch things up" and walked towards him. He sat next to the boy, expecting him to pay some attention to him. Alf though looked out of the mouth the entrance, his eyes glazed with wonder as if he was fixated on something that was over a hundred meters away. The sky blue eyes were instead the color of the ocean, a darker blue that held mysteries and treasures that tempted you to get closer. The sunlight reflected off his eyes made it look like it sparkled with gold that lay underneath the vast blue. Ivan's couldn't breathe. He almost lost all the passionate hate he felt for the boy, and he just wanted to look into his beautiful eyes for as long as he could. Alf realized Ivan's presence though and the eyes turned to their usual sky blue. The playful light made the bright orbs seem to sparkle with a natural glitter.

"Alf, I uh... I just wanted to say I was sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. You were just trying to be nice and to entertain me somehow."

Those eyes were fixed directly at him, as if playfully dancing around his soul. Ivan could feel his face grow warm with an unknown feeling. What was this?

"That's okay man. I know I was at fault too. I just made an assumption of you based on only one fact I knew about you. Just because you live in a town doesn't mean you haven't faced hardship. I don't think about those many hardships and things like that myself. It's just the way I am. I hope you aren't as mad as you were before."

"N-n-no, not at all. Ah, I... I forgive you!" Ivan couldn't believe what he was doing. He never had such speech impediments while he spoke. Even as a child he never spoke with such hesitance. It mad him flush with embarrassment, but thankfully Alf didn't care.

"Cool." Alf said, and continued looking back at the scenery. "Are there a lot of women in your town?"

Ivan was shocked that Alf would ask that. "Um, yes. I think about half of the population is female. Maybe a little more because most of the younger children are female."

"The idea of more than three women around in our world is odd. Mei is the only girl here since my mother died."

"Why is that?" It did seem strange to Ivan.

"For some reason the cold is harsh towards women. Funny, you'd think because their bodies naturally have more insulation in comparison to men, they would be better survivors. It is probably why my father, though he may not personally know Mei, he admires her. She didn't join the group until Hew and I were five. I don't know how she survived, but she did. It's pretty amazing that women the same age as us couldn't live through what Mei went through at such a young age."

"I see. So you did have other women, other than Mei or your mother?"

"Oh yeah. There were other women, shunned or abandoned by their town that came to live here several times in the past. But they never lived for long. They aren't survivors like Mei and my mom. And as much as my father hates his siblings and their success, the Fulavi tribe's old leader had a strong wife too. Her name was Veta if I remember correctly. Of course, Hew always mocks my horrible memory so you should probably ask him. Hahaha." It was odd. When Alf said he was sorry and he forgave you, he really meant it. He spoke so calmly about such personal information as if he were telling it to an old friend he hadn't seen in a while. Ivan wished that he could be similar. He didn't know if this was Alf's personality or that he have something that Ivan had lost a long time ago. Was it innocence? Ignorance?

It made Ivan think about himself. He seemed to be still in a prison in his mind in comparison to Alf. The shorter man was free with his mind and his actions, and Ivan was restricted. Restricted by manners and learning what people liked or disliked. Ivan didn't really care how awkward or sad he made people feel, so why is it that he was still acting in such a manner?

His thoughts were interrupted when Alf started to talk again.

"Veta, or whatever the old Fulavi wife's name is, just died last year. She had caught a nasty flu and just couldn't recover. The old leader was so devastated that he didn't want to be in charge anymore. Now he's quiet and doesn't really do much, in fact, whenever we encounter them, he just sits there and watches. They now follow the orders of their new leader, which is the old leader's younger brother. Oh! Yeah, be careful of the Fulavi tribe, they're big trouble."

"Why is that Alf?"

"Their new leader is this guy named Franka. Apparently he's my dad's least favorite brother and my dad doesn't get along with any of his brothers. It's probably because they always had this fierce rivalry and just get into each other's skin in a way none of the other brothers did. Don't really know why though, but I never had a problem with my brothers. I just don't like Franka because he's a little... well, he's weird. Be careful around him. He'll sneak up behind you and well..."

"Does he assault you?" Ivan asked, concerned that someone could make the boy so hesitate.

"No! It's not assault at that point. It's more of molestation. Which is kind of gross because if you think about it, because we're all related. I mean, I'm that freaky guy's nephew. But that's not the only reason to look out for him. They don't have any women in their tribe and now that Mei's older, they're going to try and kidnap her soon. My father says that men must always protect the women of the tribe and I intend to do that. Besides, I always saw myself as a hero somewhat. I was the one who nursed Mei back to health when we were younger. She might be infatuated with Kiku, but she says that she owes much more to me."

"Oh, you must care a lot about her very much." Ivan was shocked at his statement. It sounded so odd as if it came out of a stranger's mouth.

"She's supposed to be my future wife. I guess my protective nature around her has now become a habit. I feel kind of bad for her though. I know she really likes my friend Kiku, even though he won't be chief ever. But that's only because my dad says he's too old and doesn't have the endurance of someone who can lead a team. If I don't find another girl, and if Mei refuses to be my wife, we have to banish her from the group. It's really harsh and I don't want to have to resort to such tactics." Alf sighed. He was done eating and scratched his head. "Well, I want to get my mind off that. I think I'm going to take quick dip in the river with Kiku to freshen up. Do you want to come with us?"

"No, I think I will just-" Ivan paused to hiss because his ankle felt a sharp pain again. Alf noticed the Russian's left ankle wasn't properly wrapped. He grabbed the Russian's left thigh so that he could pull the leg towards him and examine it. Ivan gasped. The other's hand was just a couple of inches from his crotch. He wanted to voice that the other was being vulgar or invasive, but nothing would come out. Alf slowly wrapped the beige scarf, making sure that it was untangled and ready for him to use. Once the shorter teen took off the scarf, he unlaced his boot, revealing a sliver of heated skin to the cold air. Ivan hissed again, for his wound was irritated when Alf took his shoe off. Alf noticed his pain and he massaged the toes and sole of his feet. The pressure was very soothing, and it helped the pale blonde boy relax as the other began to wrap the cloth around his ankle. The other although was shorter than Ivan, he possessed strength that seemed beyond his frame. His grip almost hurt, and the way he tugged the scarf made Ivan afraid that he was going to break it. Soon, he was done, and put Ivan's boot on for him. Alf was actually quite good at it now that Ivan saw the finished product. His left leg looked exactly like the right one, except the calf looked thicker due to the scarf's material.

"There you go! Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"Yes, and thank you Alf." Alf nodded and called out for his best friend. Kiku swiftly came to his side, with two sets of clothing. His eyes had their tired look again, probably from new advances from the aggressive girl. Ivan watched as they left, not paying attention to their conversation as they left but heard their voices. The Asian man's eyes were now lifted, and his face looked almost as young as Alf's. One of them probably had just told a joke, because both of them started laughing, Alf being much more animated of the two. He was holding his stomach and lightly jabbing Kiku in the shoulder.

"Did you and my brother forgive each other from last time?" Ivan gasped and jumped a little. He never notice Hew approaching him from behind.

"Yes, we did."

"Ah, well then, as long as Fulavi don't show up, you should have a pleasant stay with us." Fulavi's name kept popping up. Ivan was curious. What was this tribe's name?

"Hey Hew. What is your group's name?" Hew looked at him with a shocked expression. The quieter twin probably thought his brother already told Ivan.

"We are the Lyonias."

"Lie-on-ee-as?" Ivan said slowly, making sure to pronounce their name correctly.

"Yeah, my father said our grandfather used to talk about these animals called lions. Creatures that were the color of gold and had such power that made them the dominant animal of the African continent. Even humans with their extreme intelligence didn't stand a chance against the mighty lion. My father was so fascinated by the stories about them that once he established himself as leader, he called us the Lyonias, after the lion."

"How did your grandfather know of lions and Africa?"

"He used to live far from this place. It was near a different town, a larger one that had a more diverse population. They actually liked talking to us 'nomads' as they liked to call our family. They talked to my grandfather about things they learned in textbooks and from their travels. My grandfather was a good story teller, and he could remember almost word for word all the details the town's people had told him." Ivan was about to ask what kind of person Hew's grandfather was in more detail, he was interrupted by Mei.

"Hew I'm going to get different fruit for the meal later. You just stay there and rest okay?" Her eyes were bright with energy.

"Alright, but shouldn't you have someone with you?"

"I'll be okay. I'm going to pick from the area near the river where Kiku and Alf are. They'll protect me."

"Well, why not bring someone with you just in case. Ivan, do you mind escorting Mei like you did with me?"

"Not at all." The Russian teen got up from his spot, looking at Mei. She smiled at her escort and led the way. It was odd just following the young girl, not having a conversation like he did with Hew, but Ivan didn't want to be rude. It was probably uncomfortable, even invading, to have an outsider just suddenly show up to your home. Especially one that was a large male that within a couple of hours showed great anger towards the future leader of their tribe. Not just the future leader of their group, but her future husband and good friend. Ivan felt bad that he made a woman fear him and didn't like the fact that he lost his temper so easily. Yes, his wish to not be rude while staying with these people wasn't being accomplished.

There was a large river now to the left of their path. The water was clear and sparkled in the sunlight. It rushed down the sloping landscape, as if it wasn't affected by the cold air at all. A few trees were scattered around the river, but they were still young and were barely taller than Ivan's six foot tall frame. Bushes in that area huddled around the trees, similar to small children staying close to their parents. It was through further inspection that Ivan noticed the strange yellow fruit. The fruit had a variety of color. The coloring was in an ombre pattern, going from the top a bright white to a bright yellowish-orange at the bottom. There was defensive spikes that covered it looked as sharp as tacks, and some of the spikes had even collected the hair of animals that had brushed up against it. Sitting on top of the fruit were dark green leafs that also had the strange white spikes. Ivan didn't think that it would be safe to ingest those kinds of fruit, but he understood that the nomads knew more about nature and survival better than he did.

"Would you like to try one?" Mei asked. Before Ivan could answer, she plucked the fruit, not bothered by its spikes at all.

"Yes, I think it would be fun to try one."

"Here you go. Don't worry; it's not as menacing or scary as it looks."

Ivan popped the little berry into his mouth and chewed. The spikes were not hard; in fact, his teeth crushed the protective barrier easily. The gush of juice filled his mouth, and it tasted almost like liquid sugar. He swallowed it, not feeling the prickly sensation against his throat that he thought he would experience. He smiled back at the Asian lady, very happy that she offered him the fruit.

"It is very good." Her smile grew bigger. It was nice to see her open up to him.

"I'm glad you enjoy them. They really aren't as sharp as they appear."

"Hi Mei! Hi Ivan!" The voice was loud, and it echoed several times. Ivan knew it was Alf's voice. He looked behind him and saw that Alf standing their in full naked glory, waving at them. Kiku was using a tree branch to cover his genitalia, not liking the way Alf brought such sudden attention to them. Mei giggled and waved back at the eager blonde.

"Hi Alf!" Her voice had the same tone as when she flirted with Kiku. Ivan became confused. What was her relationship with Alf? From Alf's point of view, it seemed to be just mere friendship that would have to lead to the continuing of not only their well being but their group's well being. Now the pale blonde wasn't so sure.

There was a rustle. Ivan was sure he heard something. Mei seemed to have heard it as well, for she stiffened and didn't seem so carefree. Alf continued to his task of bathing and playfully splashed Kiku with water for his modesty. The only sounds that were now heard were the sounds of Alf's laughter and the movement of the water. But Ivan knew he heard something move near by.

"It was probably just a light b-breeze or a small animal near by." Mei said, her voice stuttering slightly and not sounding confident at all. Now the sound of footsteps and hushed voices were in the air, this time much louder. Loud enough for Alf and Kiku to hear it. Both young men immediately dressed and ran toward Ivan and Mei, but it was too late. Ivan heard arrows streaming through the sky and soon he was caught in a strange net held down by said arrows. The thin rods were at each corner of the net, forming a square shaped barrier preventing Ivan from moving. Mei gasped and tried to pry the net off, but the arrows held it down effectively.

There were six men with various weapons. There was an albino with short, spiky hair. His white hair had a silver shine to it, making it appear as if he had some sort of natural crown on his head. His body was long and lean, and the only imperfections were the red scars that still looked like they were healing. His pale skin was a perfect match to the snowy background to the point it was very hard to notice him. The only way one could possibly tell he was truly there were his eyes. They were the only other color on him and his ruby red eyes were bright and full of energy. They brought such a stark contrast to the pale hair and skin. His thin lips were curled in a confident grin and had no fear or doubt. He had his arms draped around a dark skinned man, who held the bow that shot the net that captured Ivan.

The tan man's eyes were a green similar to lush and healthy grass in the spring time. His hair was short as well, but it flicked into slight curls at the ends, framing his face to make him appear more innocent than the albino next to him. His smile was also much less intimidating, but no one could deny the fact that he had a strong body. The dark hairs on his abdomen couldn't hide his core muscles, and the lack of flexing also didn't diminish the look of masculinity and strength in his form. Although his body was not as lean as his extremely pale companion, his body could rival those of bronze statues.

"Your woman will be mine Lyonias!" A blonde man shouted. His hair was a golden color, with a slight orange tint to it. His hair was similar to Hew's, for it too appeared very well kept and framed his face in delicate waves. Unlike Hew though, any feminine traits that the hair gave were masked by the facial hair and rippling muscles on his arms and legs. He had a hard body, just like the other two, but he didn't wear any deer skin over his chest. Instead, there was barely any to cover him in what most would consider a _loincloth_. His dark sapphire like eyes were darkened a bit, as if with permanent lust. It made Ivan shiver looking into those eyes. He suspected that might have been the man called "Franka" that Alf was talking about earlier.

"I will never be yours you creepy old man!" Mei shouted back at him. Her eyes that were a peaceful, earthy brown were now almost red with rage.

"Go ahead, fight. But you won't be able to stop all of us!" Another tall and strong man shouted. He had longer hair, but it stood in disarray and was spiked. It was a blonde similar to Su's blonde hair; except that there were light brown highlights that gave character to what might have been a plain hairstyle. The blue eyes were similar to Alf's, but instead of childish mischief, they held some sort of wicked gleam in them. He was the tallest one and he had the largest frame, but he didn't look over weight or even that much bigger in comparison to the others. His clothing was different from the others, for he wore a black fur hat on top of his head that matched his jet black fur clothing as well. He carried a looked to Ivan, a large axe. The blade wasn't fashioned like an axe that Ivan was used to. There were blades on both sides instead of just one, and it looked much heavier than any of the other weapons used by the nomads. At the end of the large instrument was a secondary weapon that had thorns that looked like they could pierce the human skin.

"We don't wish to hurt you or anybody else. We just wish to have a female for Franka." This was a different being. He was much the second smallest of the six men, and he had a hair curl that formed a spiral. The hair strand was so thin that it appear as if the curl was floating by itself. His blue eyes were dull, and similar to Kiku's eyes, they made him appear tired and older than what his body suggested. He had no special clothing or accessories, and he was very petite. But he had the talent of being able to communicate with animals just as well as Art can. The proof of this ability was the large, black wolf to the right of him. It breathed heavily and showcased its sharp teeth. The animal looked from its thin master to the other tribal people, as if pleading the small man to allow him to attack them.

"Enough talk! I, awesome Gilt, will just take her!" The white haired man shouted and made a dash towards Mei. But a thin arm was thrust into his path, immediately stopping him in his tracks.

"Gilt, you can't just like, be tactless like that stupid. Don't you have some sort of honor or something?" It was the skinniest of the six men. His body wasn't strong, but judging from the way the larger man listened to him, Ivan knew he had to have some sort of inner strength that couldn't be seen. His hair had only a slight wave to it, making it appear almost perfectly straight. The blonde hair was the same color as Hew's but it swayed in the wind similar to Natalya's hair. His green eyes were like a rare emerald, with such clear color and sparkle. Though, the most beautiful part about him was his thick eyelashes. They were blonde like his hair, but they were so thick that even the light hair couldn't help but stand out from his pale skin. Ever time he blinked; it reminded Ivan of the ideal woman's lashes. It was odd to see such a feminine looking man as a tribal nomad.

"Aw, be quiet Feliks. It's not like you haven't shown some brutality."

"Maybe so, but you're a beast that can't be tamed sometimes. It's hard to believe you're like, related to Roder or your other brothers sometimes."

"Fuck you man. When I'm sent on a mission I complete it!"

"Boys, boys, there is no need for fighting. My brother, Feliks is just saying that perhaps such a direct approach may not be the best option. Feliks, my dear boy. You are too young to be so bold with your thoughts. Please try to restrain yourself." Franka said, trying to bring peace.

Alf got to Ivan, cutting through the thick ropes of the net and pulling him out. Ivan thanked him but was still concerned. The Fulavi were really going to challenge them now, when most of the Lyonias were not even present?

"If you want Mei, you're going to have to go through me!" Alf said with rage, and he stood in a battle stance in front of Mei. He had no weapons, but he had his natural physical strength. Franka laughed at his nephew, for he couldn't believe that a sixteen year old would have the nerve to think he could fight all of them.

"Alf it's dangerous. I'll go get your father-" but Kiku was interrupted by a swift arrow that just grazed the left side of his cheek. The contact was so faint that his wound didn't even bleed, just turn a light pink color. He looked to see Cerri, the tan man, looking at him with the same mischief that was in the albino's eyes.

"Now there Kiku, there's no need to bring in our youngest brother into this. After all, I think my nephew made it quite clear he can handle himself well. Unless it is you who is scared?"

"No I am not."

"Then I say we have at it." And the one with dull blue eyes lifted his left hand, which was the signal for his black wolf to attack. Its green eyes glared at Kiku and it dashed from side to side in a zigzag pattern in order to try to confuse the Asian man. The mouth almost foaming in the anticipation of biting into the Asian man's flesh. It prepared itself for the attack and in a split second narrowed its eyes and obscured its vision just a little. To bad for the animal that Kiku kept his guard up and when the canine attempted to strike him, he got right underneath it pushed it to the side, making it land on its left side. The wolf howled, charging at the dark haired man again, but Kiku handled it just as he did the first time. Its owner was not pleased with the way his pet was being treated like a nuisance of sorts and came in charging with a large dagger in his hand.

"Right behind you Nora!" The tallest one shouted and followed his words. Alf knew that Kiku wouldn't be able to handle the blow of the axe and had to distract the taller of the two somehow. He hatched at idea and once the larger of the two came close enough to him, he gave a swift kick to the gut. Because he hit the other man higher than actually intended, there was a loud crack of the ribs. Alf had broken the bottom two ribs close to the diaphragm. Knowing that this might not be enough to take the man down, he gave another quick attack, this time a punch to the jaw. The jaw bone still remained in tack, but it appeared to have been effective in disabling the larger man.

"Sorry Marco, but you're not messing with any of my friends today!" Alf cried out. The one named Marco, fell to the ground clutching his stomach. He glared at the confident teenager and growled. He swung the giant axe violently, but the shorter blonde dodged them with ease. Alf's smile grew wider as he noticed the other male slowing down and losing strength. He jumped into the air and threw a rock at Marco's face. The projectile struck him on the left ear, and the man in dark clothing slumped to the ground with his face buried in the snow.

Kiku had also quickly dealt with Nora, for he sent the dagger into the rushing river and could now fight hand to hand combat. The other was hesitant with his movements, which showed that he hadn't had much practice in this area of fighting. The dark haired man found a weak spot, under Nora's left knee and thrust his arm against it. Nora coughed, unable to handle anymore abuse to his body and sunk into the snow just as his comrade did.

Ivan stared in amazement. He didn't think that nomadic groups would fight so violently over a woman. He looked at Mei who appeared to have tears in her eyes. It must have been hard for her to watch. At any moment, both of her friends could have been knocked out or even worse, killed, and she would have been taken by the other tribe.

"Well, it looks like they have a new member in the Lyonias. Mind if I take you on?" It was the feminine man's voice. Ivan saw Feliks staring straight at him, but with a slim spear in his hand. The point of the spear was made of obsidian, and Ivan grew nervous. Sure he could overpower the other man easily if there were no weapons involved, but with such an advantage it was hard to say who was going to win. Ivan prepared himself however and waited for the other man to make the first move at him. Feliks twirled his weapon around, his nimble fingers trying to find a place to strike the Russian teen. He thought that the left eye would be a good weakness and leaped into the air using the spear. He kissed the spear for good luck, and threw it as one would throw a javelin. Ivan ducked and dodged the impaling instrument and prepared himself for fair combat. Instead of landing in some sort of clearing, the blonde in the air positioned himself to try to aerial dive toward Ivan and wound him that way. Ivan waited for it and he stepped out of the way at the last second and kicked the other man in the back.

Feliks fell onto his hands and knees. He tried to get up, but the pain that shot from his spinal cord was so horrible that he thought he was going to pass out.

The pale blonde sighed, not used to such strenuous activity and went back to observing Kiku and Alf. Alf was fighting the Gilt, keeping up with the other man's pace and delivering good blows himself.

"Hahaha! Your father trains you well little nephew!"

"Shut up and fight!"

Suddenly a loud whistling noise sounded into the air. It was almost as loud as Alf's voice and it made everyone stop what they were doing. The whistle came from a long man with a petite frame. His dark, brunette hair made his pale skin seem to glow in comparison. Ivan still thought it was odd that his hair looked perfectly combed and styled, except for the flick of hair in the front that stood tall and proud. There were no grooming products such as shampoo, and yet this stranger's hair had the perfection that all those advancements in hygiene tried to achieve. His violet eyes were the same color as the robes of royalty and they were framed with perfect eyebrows and long, dark lashes. To the Russian teenager, it was amazing that such a powerful sound came from a man that he would believe at first glance to be quiet and mannered.

Next to the man were two boys who appeared to either be twins or siblings that were only two years apart at most. Ivan guessed that the older of the two was the one that had darker hair, similar to the man who whistled while the other had auburn hair. Both had a flick of hair that curled and stuck out, but the darker haired on had it on the right side and a little closer to his face. The younger's hair curl was on the left side and it seemed to form almost a heart shape design. They were thin males as well, but they did seem to be more cowardly than the others for they huddled close together in a way that didn't remind Ivan of two people who were just really cold.

The only other boy that was near them was another albino. He had dull eyes similar to the man who controlled the black wolf, but instead of blue, they were lavender. His hair was perfectly in place, similar to the new commander that made Franka bow, but he didn't have any hair out of place. It was clear that he was definitely young, possibly still twelve years old, but if he were already this tall at such a young age than Ivan knew he would grow to be a huge man.

"Franka, this is not the way to obtain a woman. This is an unacceptable manner of a leader."

"Roder, you have given up your opinion on what a leader is supposed to be and I-"

"If you don't back down you will regret it!" Roder snapped. Franka instinctively bowed his head and he groaned. Old habits were hard to break.

"Why is he bowing to dad Lovi, isn't uncle Franka the new chief?" the auburn haired boy asked his darker haired sibling.

"That idiot needs to learn to bow and be more modest. Our entire family hasn't been doing as well since he had been commanding everyone."

"Big brother! Don't say such mean things."

"Well then allow me to Feli." The young albino said. "We haven't been able to hunt for big game, gather as much food, or even produce a future chief because he's too busy wanting to annoy his youngest brother."

"That's enough Ice. I will handle it from here." Roder said, not wanting to hear the young child continue with such blatant disrespect for his elders. The brunette whistled again, Gilt and Cerri began to pick up the two who were injured and unconscious. Roder then ran to Feliks side and slide an arm underneath to support him. He turned to Alf and smiled.

"I am glad to see you grow up to be a man." With that, the Fulavi tribe left.

Ivan sighed in relief and turned his attention to see if Alf and Kiku were injured. Kiku seemed fine and started walking back to their camp. Mei was still slightly shaken from the experience and was being held by Alf. The blonde boy rubbed her back and kept telling her that everything was going to be alright and that she would always be safe.

Ivan began to wonder about Alf and Mei's relationship. But he didn't know why he bothered to think about such things. Why did he care?

End of Chapter 3

Oh yeah! They forgave each other and Ivan learned so much about them! Urgh, I am no good with battle scenes. I apologize! Bleh...

Read and review! I would love to see what you guys think so far.


	4. Chapter 4

**_WARNINGS: Character Death, Incest, Yaoi, Cross dressing, one original character (meaning not based on a country), and very SLOW MOVING (over 30 chapters) throughout the whole fanfic!_**

Yeah… even I think I've gone too far with this character death thing this time. Not only is Belgium and Hungary dead, but now in this chapter my favorite character in the cast of Hetalia is going to die! O_O Why am I doing this to myself? I shouldn't allow myself to be controlled by this plot bunny but I am. Argh... during the time I was writing this chapter I kept trying to not think about Hetalia but... its a lot harder said than done.

By the way, if there is anyone out there still reading this fanfic after this chapter, you are quite a trooper. Either that or you really, REALLY like Russia/America. Not that it is a bad thing; I am definitely a crazy Cold War pairing fan.

Speaking of pairings, now that I've written a summary for every chapter up until the very end, I now am sure about all the pairings and hinted/mentioned ones.

Main Pairing: Russia/America

Side Pairings: America/Taiwan, One-sided Japan/Taiwan, One-sided Russia/Belarus, One-sided Lithuania/Belarus, France/Seychelles, Austria/Hungary, Sweden/Finland, and Germany/N. Italy.

Hinted or Mentioned Pairings (Ranging from ones you have to squint to see to ones that are almost side pairings): England/Belgium, One-sided France/Austria, Prussia/Austria, One-sided Prussia/Hungary, Prussia/Canada, One-sided Turkey/Hungary, Poland/Hungary, One-sided France/Belgium, One-sided Spain/Belgium, Denmark/Norway, Ancient Rome/Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome/Greece, Germania/Ancient Greece, Switzerland/Liechtenstein, Switzerland/Japan, Turkey/OC, Turkey/Greece, Greece/Israel, One-sided Russia/Serbia, One-sided Spain/Philippines, One-sided America/Philippines, China/N. Korea, One-sided Austria/S. Korea, Spain/S. Italy, One-sided Mongolia/China, S. Korea/Hong Kong, Thailand/Vietnam, Sealand/Principality of Wy, and Seborga/Principality of Wy.

**NAME CHANGES!**

**1. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Netherlands (Holland) so his name is Neth**  
**2. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Luxembourg so his name is Bourg  
3. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Monaco so her name is Clarice Littleton  
4. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Czech Republic so her name is Bozka Rybar  
5. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Slovakia so her name is Brana Polievka  
6. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Argentina so her name is Ailen Vazquez**

Yeah, I'm really imaginative with names huh? Urgh. Can't even joke right now, too depressed from writing this chapter.

Chapter 4

It was late now. Because they were over a mile away from the town, its smog didn't affect the landscape. The blue sky had fallen and now it was jet black with thousands of piercing, white stars to light it. But there weren't just white stars in the sky to entertain the group. Some glowed a fiery red and even the color of a blue topaz. There were so many bright lights that clustered together that they appeared to be dancing and changing the intensity of their light, as if they were coyly winking at everything below them. Everyone in the tribe gathered around the mouth of the cave, looking up at the celestial bodies with child-like awe. It might have looked comical if there were others watching them, seeing all the grown men and one woman watch the sky with such focus, as if something was going to drop from the vast heavens. Even the child of the family, Petra, had nothing to say against the power of nature's beauty.

"Its amazing, isn't it?" Alf asked to no one. Everyone slowly nodded. They agreed but they didn't want to move too much, in fear of losing the beautiful image they were seeing.

Although the scenery was beautiful and he didn't want to take his eyes off it, but Petra began to slump and rest his head against Luwd's shoulder. His arms grew limp and soon the rest of his body followed. The young boy hated that he was falling asleep quicker than the others. When the older man noticed the young child resting against him, Luwd pulled him into his lap and held him in his arms. He swayed his arms back and forth a little. The gentle rocking motion was the thing that finally leads Petra to close his eyes and fall asleep.

When it became late enough that the group's pet wolves started yawning though, Art suggested that they should sleep now.

"Father, can't I stay up a little longer?" Alf asked. Art huffed, knowing he couldn't persuade the boy to sleep even if he tried.

"Sure, but not too long."

"Okay."

"I think I will stay up with you," Ivan said.

The two boys sat next to each other while everyone slept. They continued this cycle of gazing at the night and then at each other. It was as if they were afraid that they or the other would get lost in it if they stared too long. Sometimes Ivan didn't like looking at Alf. It wasn't that he disliked the boy at all, but the stars seemed to grow duller after he glanced at the other's bright orbs that he was blessed to call his eyes. The other blonde's hair was no longer a sunflower yellow in the low light, but a gold that shimmered under the twilight. It was similar to the gold that Ivan saw on wedding rings. It was pure and everlasting. Even Alf's skin had an ethereal glow to it. Ivan imagined before when the church had told him about angels, and they would have all those qualities that the other teenager possessed.

They glanced at each other again.

"Alf," Ivan said, not really sure what he was going to say to the young man.

"What is it?" The other asked, for once in a quiet voice. It was in that moment that Ivan remembered his question.

"What is your relationship with Mei?"

"Oh, I guess we are friends. To be honest, I really don't know much about her other than that she's a girl and that she likes my friend Kiku."

"But you must care for her a lot, even though you don't know her. You were very protective of her this afternoon. It was quite impressive..."

"Hahaha, thanks man. But really, I would have done that for anyone here. Not even just anyone in my tribe, but really any person who appears to be in danger. I can't let anyone get hurt if I'm around. So if you need some saving big guy, let me know."

Ivan chuckled. It was nice to hear Alf speak. There was such purity in his words. No deceptions, no exceptions, it was all or nothing for the young man.

"But my relationship with Mei is non-existent if you ask me. I rarely talk to her and I don't know anything about her besides what I just told you. The others know much more about her than me. I just don't think we were destined to be with each other. Plus, she's definitely not interested in me as you can tell." The Russian sighed. Of course the other boy didn't notice the way Mei responded to him. It was probably normal to be oblivious for Alf. Oblivious of attraction, affection, or anything that dealt with the early signs of romance. But Ivan could read the Asian girl's body language. The eyes that perked and lifted with happiness, the pale dusting of blush against her cheek bones, and the alert posture of her body practically screamed her secret desire for Alf. Ivan didn't want to expose the woman's secret, thinking that she deserved to tell the boy herself, and just nodded at Alf's statement.

"What about you? Do you have a sweetheart?"

"No, I am not interested in anyone where I live." Alf's eyes widened and he immediately responded with a "Really? But there are a lot of women in your town. You really couldn't find one you like?"

"Haha, yes comrade. It is still hard to find a female companion, even when you have many to choose from."

"I just would think it would be easier to find a wife for you guys. But I guess wherever you live; you'll face the same basic problems like everyone else. But wow, I always thought that you would have a girl waiting for you."

"Why is that?" Ivan was curious. Did he act in a way as if he were taken with a girl?

"Well..." Alf blushed. He was debating whether or not to tell the other.

"Yes?" Ivan asked, trying to prod an answer from the other teenager.

"You're really tall and strong. Things that a man should have, you have. I'm actually jealous of you."

"Jealous? Why? You are tall and strong as well."

"I'm not very tall, not in comparison to you, Luwd, and Su. Also the reason I'm strong is not the same reason you are, but because I've been training with my father and Su since I was twelve. Today you fought off Feliks without any training of any kind. All of your moves were from just your instincts and physical strength. I'm still envious thinking about it."

"Oh," Ivan blurted. He didn't really know how else to respond. All this time, he had been admiring Alf for his qualities. The Russian boy thought of the other as almost the perfect male when it came to his body. The mind wasn't bad either, and his charisma made him feel more comfortable than any other stranger that Ivan had first met. It felt flattering to hear that Alf admired something about him.

"But that doesn't mean I don't like you! It's just that I thought you might have someone already because you seem like a good man. But that's just my assumptions again. Hew says I'm going to have to control that otherwise I'm going to get myself into even more trouble in the future when I'm in command."

"Well, maybe at first. A couple hours ago I was hot with rage when I first met you. But we seem to be getting along now."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. It feels like ancient history to me."

"I feel the same way Alf."

Alf let out a loud yawn. Ivan giggled lightly at the other's action. Even with yawning, Alf's was intense and commanding.

"I'm... uh, I'm getting tired. I'm thinking about going to sleep. You want to sleep on my rug? It's really big since Petra in the past sometimes gets nightmares and sleeps next to me, but he doesn't do that anymore. Also, we didn't have enough fur and dried skin to make you one."

"I am okay with that arrangement."

They both crept slowly into the cavern, not wanting to disturb the other occupants. They swerved around the sleeping couple Su and Tino before the arrived at Alf's large, empty fur rug. It was dark brown, similar to the color of coffee. The color was probably to help capture any warm they could in the winter months. Ivan waited for Alf to lay down first so that he could choose the part he preferred. After all, he was intruding the young man's space already and he didn't want to be an even bigger burden. Alf decided tonight that he would sleep on the right side of the fur mat, leaving Ivan the left side. The fur was actually made from the same material as the nomads' clothes which were deer. Ivan was surprised that they were able to have so much in supply, but the tribe probably did have knowledge of the deer's seasonal habits and could track them down easily. Once Ivan had now laid down on the left side, Alf threw a white blanket over them. Instead of deer, this was from the hairs of a goat. The longer strands looked like fringe on the blanket, making it appear more like a decorative piece. Ivan immediately thought it was made from the man named Su.

Alf fell asleep as soon as the blanket covered his body, but Ivan was still adjusting. The Russian teen was used to having to share a bed with his sister Natalya, or even on the family couch when his younger sibling was being more persistent with her advancements. But he wasn't used to the feeling of Alf pressed against his back. Ivan couldn't ignore the feeling of the hardened and warm backside rubbing against his own. He felt the heat flush to his cheeks.

"Oh god, what is happening to me?" He whispered to himself. The teenager tried to breathe slowly and deeply, thinking this would help him relax but it wasn't working. All he could think about was the other boy's body touching him. Ivan could feel his skin prickling in little bumps and his body grew hot.

"Why is this bothering me? It's just some boy..." The young man groaned. Ivan sat up, thinking it was his body was telling him that it wasn't tired. He watched everyone sleep. Even the wolves were in a peaceful slumber and they had no mat of their own.

As the young man stayed up longer, he started thinking about Alf's shock to him not having a girlfriend. _Why didn't he have a girlfriend?_ Ivan knew he wasn't the best looking man, but he was at least average. He would like to think of himself as intelligent considering that he had gotten mostly A's in his classes, and all of his classes were advanced so he knew it wasn't his mind. As for his personality, yes, he was a bit quiet and didn't know as many people his one age as one would expect, but it wasn't as if his classmates didn't know who he was. Ivan tried to think about the girls that he wouldn't mind asking out.

The first girl that he thought of was Clarice Littleton. Her family used to live in France, working as managers for a resort near the beach. They had Clarice very young and so they were still getting their education completed while she was a child. It was probably why the young girl acted much older than her other peers, for she had to learn to be hardened and mature due to the life her parents gave her. It was a benefit to the girl for she was extremely intelligent. Since she had started high school, it was predicted that she would be the valedictorian of their year. Ivan had always seen her doing something in the library whenever she had spare time, reading books from science, famous literature, and even a book about being a smart gambler. Not only was the girl smart, no one could deny that she was gorgeous. The girl was a natural brunette, but lately she began to keep it blonde. She would put it in a loose braid, which would rest on one of her shoulders, depending how she felt. It didn't really matter to Ivan whatever hair color she had, for it didn't hide her enchanting, dark blue eyes. Eyes so dark that in bad light, they would appear black like coal. Although most people were less attractive with glasses, the metal frames actually complimented her face, making it look softer and more approachable. She had a slim built, opposite to Katyusha's body, but it suited her height. Clarice was only five feet and four inches tall, so a larger bust and hips would have looked awkward on her. The only fault in her was the fact that Ivan didn't really like how fragile and injury prone she was. One time she had fallen down the short steps that led to the school. The young woman was taken to the hospital, where they discovered that she had broken three of her ribs and both of her wrists. The Russian boy was afraid that if he were to be with her, he would hurt her on accident multiple times. It wasn't an attractive image.

There was another girl he had also thought of starting a relationship with. Her name was Ailen Vazquez. The young lady was from the only family in their town that used to live outside of Europe. They lived in a South American country called Argentina, and they still spoke the native language Mapudungun in their home. She wasn't valedictorian, but she was not a slow learner. Though her grading marks were decent, her real talent was in football. Whenever he was out getting groceries, he would pass by the grassy field and see her running around and kicking goals. Even during the winter time, she could be seen doing the same drills with the official ball with its white hexagons and black pentagons. The only thing that changed was her wardrobe, which had more layers and longer lengths during the colder months. The Vazquez daughter's skin was olive color, but tended to get darker during the summer time. There were no imperfections in Ailen's skin, no teenage acne or scarring. Her eyes when she was bored or not focusing her attention on anything, was a hazel color, but when she was playing football or paying attention in class, her eyes were an electric, almost neon green. Her hair was naturally a light brown, just a shade darker than her skin. In bright sunlight, it even appeared blonde to Ivan at times. She had an athlete's body, toned but still shapely. Her shoulders were broad and model-esque, making her torso even thinner than it already was. Even though she had a more boyish figure, Ailen looked beautiful in her skirts and ruffled tops. The young woman looked good in everything she put on her body, for her lack of curves was a blank canvas for all things that she laid on her body. Ailen would have been a nice person to go out with, but Ivan believed that Edward was interested in dating her. Although Ivan wasn't nice to Edward at times, he didn't think it was right to approach a woman he knew his friend liked.

Ivan sighed. The only two other girls he had even thought of going out with other than Clarice Littleton and Ailen Vazquez were Bozka Rybar and Brana Polievka. They were cousins, but people wouldn't believe that at first glance. Bozka was a tall girl with short blonde hair in tight curls. She was five feet, eleven inches tall, and was almost as tall as Ivan when she wore high heels. Most of her height was in her long legs, for she had a short torso. It wasn't until this year that the pretty and friendly young woman had gotten used to her long limbs. In earlier school years, she was known to be a klutz. Thankfully unlike Clarice, Rybar wasn't a delicate flower. She played tennis, a sport that supports the fact that she was statuesque and well proportioned. She was also the only person that Ivan knew to have actual gray eyes, which were so light that they almost blended with her pale skin. Because Bozka's eyes didn't stand out, her soft, pale lips were the most attention grabbing part of her face. Her lips were full and completely smooth, which made many boys in school dream of kissing them. But Rybar's cousin that was of the same age had a different image.

The other girl was just as tall, but Brana had long and straight hair. The pitch black strands went down to her knees, but unlike many with that long of hair, her hair wasn't as dry as straw. Nor did she feel the need to put all of the think hair into a simple ponytail. Brana let it grace her backside, letting sway gently with the passing wind. Her long hair didn't frame her face like her relative's, but her face didn't need to be enhanced by it. Her face was not as full as some of the other teenage girls, for it was more heart shaped. Though her cheekbones were not as noticeable as one would think they should be Ivan thought it was better that way because it made her appear more youthful than the other option. Her eyes were cornflower blue. They were such a bright color, and with her skin that was even paler than her cousin's and her nude colored lips, everyone understood that her beauty lay in her eyes. Her pale features were attributed to the fact that she didn't play sports. She was certainly fit enough to play any sport, for her petite body allowed her the potential to be swift and well balanced. Brana would probably have been just as successful at tennis as her cousin was. But the young woman was an aspiring singer. Her voice had a vast range of five octaves and it was hard to not listen to her singing. It wasn't that Brava's voice was always on pitch and was brilliant, but the fact that she poured out such pent up emotion into it. All the frustration, happiness, and depression that she bottled in her heart, were released in her voice.

"Yet, I don't have enough interest in any of them to approach them. Either that or I was afraid that Natalya would threaten their life. Hahaha..." Ivan sighed. He yawned. The teen's eyes were drooping and he entered Alf's bed again, this time he was able to enter a deep slumber...

"_Wake up!_" An angry voice shouted at him. Then Ivan heard a low growl was heard against his left hear. Ivan opened his eyes and saw it was the largest of Art's wolves. The young man shot up and looked to see that Alf's father was also glaring down at him.

"The sun is up, which means its time to awaken." The older blonde said. Ivan nodded and rushed out bed. He glanced quickly all around him to see that Alf had indeed woken up before him. The only ones that were still sleeping were Mei and Petra. The teenager returned his attention to Art, waiting for him to say something else.

"Hm... sometimes I think I should have let the wolves have their fun with you." It was all Art said before walking away.

Ivan stood there for several minutes, not understand what had just happened. Why was the elder man acting harsh towards him? He slowly shrugged it off enough to walk outside and join the others. The young Russian saw Alf and Hew sharpening the tips of long pieces of wood, making a spear or javelin of some sorts. Hew was the first to notice that Ivan was coming towards him and waved. Alf looked up from his work to also see Ivan and called out in his booming voice "Over here buddy!"

The taller teen quickly joined them and watched them continue their work as they talked.

"Man, my father sounded angry when he woke you up." Alf commented.

"Yes, he was."

"Do you know why man?"

"Alf, I think I might know why." Hew spoke up. Both boys turned their attention to the older twin.

"Why is dad angry at Ivan?"

"Dad found out that you guys had a fight. I think he's angry at Ivan for disrespecting his son." Both of the twins sighed. They were used to the over protectiveness of their father, but sometimes he followed that parental instinct in an irrational manner. To their surprise, Ivan started giggling.

"What's so funny? My father's pissed at you Ivan." Alf asked, very confused by the Russian's actions.

"It is not that. I was laughing because your reaction to your father's behavior was very innocent."

"In what way?" Hew asked, his voice much quieter now.

"Both of you look at it as him being irrational or cruel. But he is none of those things. He loves you both very much. Now that he's experienced the loss of your mother, your father knows how painful it is to have to let go to something you love. The man just doesn't want to feel the same pain he felt when he lost his wife with his children. Some day you might decide if you are unhappy here and now that you two are strong enough to leave this place, you might leave him just as your mother did. It is with that reason that he is so mad at me. I am causing one of his sons to be unhappy, and this could lead to the potential situation of you leaving. Plus the fact that Alf is the one that he wants to make into the future chief when he is too old to do so, makes it even more frightening. Now he is not only thinking of his sorrow, but the feelings of everyone else in the group."

Hew nodded, unable to respond with words. Alf however, seemed mind with gushing out whatever he thought.

"Wow... how did, um... how can you understand my father's thoughts so easily? Wait, do you have a kid?"

"No! I do not have a child yet. But I have lost someone I loved..." Ivan said, his voice slowly dialing to a whisper. It made him depressed when he thought of Katyusha. The twins nodded, remember the argument between Ivan and Alf.

"Yeah, I think it's even worse when you're forced to leave your family and you're still alive to tell the tale. Ask Luwd over there," Alf pointed out. The large man was next to a large cluster of long, sharpened, wooden rods. He was practicing throwing them a great distance, in order to improve his hunting skills.

"He used to be a part of Fulavi, until he was banished." Hew said.

"Why was he banished?" Ivan was shocked. Luwd and Ivan never had a long conversation, but the man didn't treat Ivan badly.

"He was having a relationship with the chief's son, Feliciano. Feliciano was going to be the one the old leader, Roder, was going to let lead the tribe when he gets old. When he found out about their feelings for each other and their secret meetings, Luwd got banished. Now he has to live with us, away from the closest thing he had to a brother and the love of his life. Quite tragic really." Alf explained.

"I feel bad talking about him when he isn't here." Hew said.

"I'm sure he doesn't care. It's not like he hasn't told us the story a couple of times." Alf suggested. Ivan did feel terrible about speaking about the other man's past, but he still had a question looming in his mind after the tale.

"Who is his brother?"

"Oh, that, no, Luwd doesn't have any brother. At least, he thinks he doesn't. You see, a woman from that town of yours about twenty years ago had an affair with a married man and was forced to leave. After she gave birth to Luwd outside, she found Gilt, the albino dude from the Fulavi tribe. The woman asked him to take care of the child for her and she's never been seen since than. Gilt raised Luwd more like a brother than a son, which is why they're so close. Too bad about Roder finding out about Luwd, but it's kind of a win for us. He's a cool guy and really strong."

"I see..." Ivan said. The twins continued their work in silence. Ivan slowly started thinking about his family while they worked.

The pale blonde felt a faint feeling in his chest. The Russian didn't understand why he didn't miss his family and friends more. Was it because he hadn't been gone for long?

He started to think about his life and how it was progressing. His childhood was definitely better once he had been adopted by the Braginskis. There was one winter when Ivan was eight years old, were instead of snow it rained. Unfortunately for most of the people in the town, the rain froze the next day. The roads, walking paths, windows, and roofs were coated with thick, slippery ice. Even horses that pulled wagons had lost their footing once of twice, causing whatever they were carrying to topple and crash. The troubles didn't end their. Roofs that couldn't handle the weight of the ice caved in; thankfully no one had died from incidents such as those. The hospital was full of people who had tripped and broken a limb against the hard solid.

Ivan remembers his father's business tripling that year. So much work to do that the old man had to bring his young son with him for help. The Russian didn't mind, he liked spending time with his father. He always liked to stare at the man's eyes when the other wasn't looking. The older man with his sapphire eyes that had a wisdom that Ivan wished he had in his.

They walked very slowly those days. Ivan's father didn't want the other boy to fall and hurt himself. But once they had gotten to someone's home, the two would immediately inspect the damage. The day that Ivan remembered the most was when his father was working on Edward and Raivis' house. He could still see the two children cowering in fear. But he also could recall that he didn't do anything to the two. He remembered getting up on the roof first so that his father could hold the ladder for him. Ivan could still remember his fear of climbing the slippery ladder. Its wood had a slight sheet of frost on each step, and the railings were thick poles to Ivan then that he couldn't grip. It was only after two more steps that he could almost feel his heart jumping out of his body and he turned to his father that he wanted to get down.

"Come on son! You're so close. I need you my boy."

"But I'm scared!"

"Scary things only make you stronger. Come on Ivan, I know you can do it!"

The little boy looked up, took a deep breath, and took the last two steps up the ladder. Soon he sat on the part of the roof that hadn't fallen on the house.

"You did it Ivan!" his father yelled.

"I did! I did!" He shouted...

"What are you thinking about?" It was Petra's voice.

"Petra, don't disturb him. If he wishes to tell you, he will." Hew said before continuing sharpening the sticks.

"No, it is alright Hew. I was just thinking of my father." Ivan answered.

"Oh, you just had a happy look to your face. I certainly wouldn't smile like that thinking about my dad."

"Petra! Don't say such things!" Luwd yelled. The young boy jumped, not expecting Luwd to be able to hear him. The older man stopped his exercises and walked over to Petra's side.

"You may think such things, but when you experience time away from your father, you will feel happy to think of him." Luwd said his voice softer now than before. The boy though, was immature and stuck his tongue out.

"Nu uh!"

"Hahaha, I don't think I would either Pet!" Alf laughed.

"Don't call me pet! I'm not a pet, I'm your brother!"

"I don't know sometimes. You hang out with those wolves as much as dad does." Alf was right. It was quite amusing seeing the child get flustered. His face resembled a giant tomato, and his eyebrows seemed to have a life of their own. They wiggled in a wave pattern, making it look like they were centipedes crawling in place.

"Oh my god, that's so hilarious!" Alf shouted, poking one of his little brother's eyebrows. Hew tried to stop the other from bothering the youngest child, but Petra was still fuming with rage. It kept going on until everyone heard a loud "Stop it!" It was from Alf's father Art. Art sauntered over to our little gathering, his face looking calm. When Ivan looked at the reactions of my companions however, he could tell that it wasn't a good sign. Art looked straight at the Russian, glaring at him just as he did when he woke up.

"Did you cause this?"

"No father, he didn't. Ivan wouldn't pick on Petra. You know that I'm the one who always does that." Alf responded quickly. Art looked into his son's eyes, seeing that he was telling the truth and walked away. Everyone sighed, knowing that Ivan was going to face more of the elder man's wrath later.

For over a week, Ivan had suffered Art's anger. The Russian giggled a little, for he was almost used to the wolves in his face. It was another routine.

Ivan was awakened by the sound of the wolf pack growling and barking into his ear. The dogs with their sharp canines just centimeters away from his face. He could feel that phantom touch of the curved teeth. Maybe they were touching some thin body hair that coated his neck, but it still tickled Ivan when he was getting up. Sometimes when they barked, a sliver of saliva from each of them would splatter on his collar bone. Ivan didn't mind, he even found it cute because it reminded him of dogs who would get their master wet trying to wake them up. In his mind, Ivan affectionately called them his little alarm clocks.

Once up, he would trek through the snow, which was getting thicker with each passing day he stayed, to the twins. Instead of watching them work, today was a bit unusual.

"Hey Ivan, good to see you up. Want to help me go hunting?" Alf asked.

"Um, sure if you do not think I will get in your way. My ankle is still a little uncomfortable."

"Well that's okay big guy. I just need someone to observe just in case I hurt myself. Come on!" Alf said with a commanding voice. Ivan smiled softly and nodded. The shorter man beamed his own bright smile and eagerly grabbed his spear and sling. It was amazing to see the other boy so excited about such a task, but it didn't really surprise the Russian teen.

"Hew, do you want to join us?" Alf asked his twin. Hew shook his head.

"No, I am not in the mood for it. I'm just going to go bath in the river."

"With who Hew?" Alf asked, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. The older twin blushed and mumbled something about Alf knowing that he wasn't interested in anyone.

Hew said his goodbyes and walked down the trail that led to the river. Stripping himself of the deer skin, the blonde was completely exposed to nature. Hew sighed blissfully. He was not as comfortable with his body as Alf was with his, but the older twin still enjoyed being naked in the outdoors. It made the other feel closer to environment around him. The wind playfully dancing around the curvature of his chest and abs, the leaves flying by grazing his thighs, and the smell of the trees and shrubs perfuming the air made the young man wonder for a moment why he wore those clothes.

Hew hopped into the river. The water felt warm and delightful against his skin.

"Ah, I could stay here forever..." The young man sighed to himself. Hew dunked his whole head under the rushing waters, and emerged quickly. Though he regretted that as soon as he opened his eyes. Violet eyes met eyes that were a mix of amber and green. The stranger's hair was spiked, revealing his oval face and the faint scar above his right eyebrow. Thin lips curled in a deep frown didn't comfort Hew; neither did the bulging muscles on his arms and bare abdomen. The young teen flinched in fear.

"Who are you-"

"Bastard child of Art, you will take us to your home." The older man commanded. Hew looked behind the other to see another man. The man a few feet away from them looked significantly younger than the other and was probably no older than thirty. He had lavender eyes that were similar to Hew's, but his hair was straight and the same shade as his twin's. His body was slim, but not in a sickly way. His body was trim and didn't seem to have any body fat at all. The young boy almost quivered. Two fit males that were in perfect conditioning and they were hostile, which meant that Hew was going to not like the outcome.

"Neth, don't be so nice to the kid. Get him to squeal and kill him."

"Shut it Bourg, you're still the child in comparison to me. I will handle this vile thing." Hew's shoulders were grabbed and the boy was thrown against a tree. Hew coughed and gripped his stomach from the pain. He could see the small drops of blood that spewed out of his throat. The young boy glanced up to see the man who was identified as Neth above him.

"Where is your father Art?" Neth growled.

"Who are you? Why do you want to know where my father is?" Hew gasped.

"Why do we want to know where your father is? Simple, you're living proof that we should kill that asshole." Bourg said.

"Kill my father?"

"Yes, because the woman that was forced to be your mother was our sister. Your father took her against her will and forced her to bear you and any other siblings you might have."

"How can you tell I'm your sister's son-"

"Because you look almost just like her, but you have the same eyes as my brother Bourg. You are no doubt Bell's son." Neth assured. Hew twitched at the sound of his mother's name and both men without any hesitation knew that this was Bell's bastard child.

"Tell us where you live, and we'll spare your life."

"No! You just told me you were going to kill my father! I won't let you do that!" Hew growled, he lunged for the older man but Neth dodged it easily. Neth elbowed the teenager on the shoulder blade, making the young man cry out in pain. Bourg laughed at the boy and said "I guess more than one person is dying today. No matter, we'll find your father. Wherever there are wolves, your beast of a father will be with them too."

After that, Neth gave a hard kick to Hew's ribs. Hew winced and grasped at his chest. A dark bruise was already forming and the wavy haired boy thought he was going to die. More blows were delivered to Hew's body. His thighs, calves, and his abdomen which held all his organs all suffered. Every hit he took, he could feel the pain intensify. Hew tried to get up several times but the swift strikes of the older man kept coming. Why didn't he pass out from this tremendous pain? Why didn't he die? Hew begged for his body to let him lose consciousness, but sadly no such miracle came. It was only when he no longer twitched from receiving blows to his body did Neth stop.

"Finish him; he seems like a useless thing anyways." Bourg encouraged.

"No, I don't want to kill him. I want to kill Art." Neth said. Bourg shrugged and the two brothers walked away. As they walked, the made sure that they were hidden by the surrounding plant life. They didn't have to travel far before seeing other people performing miscellaneous tasks outside the cave. There was a large, blonde man that was sparring with another man of Asian descent, yelling at the dark haired man to be more aggressive. A woman of Asian descent was helping a large, pale blonde man weave baskets. The large blonde man was familiar to the two men. Su used to be the considered the strongest man until Art beat him. Ever since the shorter man accomplished this, Su had been by his side to serve him. They knew they found the right tribe. Both sets of eyes shifted until they locked onto Art, who was scolding Petra about something. They almost gagged. This child was probably their sister's as well, even though the boy looked almost exactly like Art.

The brothers came out of their hiding place, Neth whistling loudly to draw everyone's attention. All of their eyes turned. The older men gasped, except for Art who just sat calmly with his youngest son.

"Father, who are-"

"Petra, I want you to know that Su is in charge if I cannot lead the pack." The little boy was confused, thinking his father was talking about the wolves.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"We have some ghosts from the past. Those two are your mom's brothers, Neth and Bourg." Art confessed.

"Is that a bad thing? They're my uncles, family, they can't be that terrible." Petra said. Art shook his head.

"Don't worry about me, and whatever happens, do not interfere son." Petra winced when his father kissed his forehead and held him tight. "I love you very much Petra. You can never comprehend just how vast it is." The young boy flinched, although he was young, Petra knew that his father was talking as if he were going to die soon. Art pulled away from his son and slowly walked towards Neth and Bourg.

"Haven't seen you two in a while, what took you so long?" Art called out to them.

"Cowards like you can run faster than us. Where is our sister?" Bourg asked. The thick eyebrows on Art's face seemed to grow darker in color at the mention of his wife, and he said in a low voice "She is gone." Both of Bell's brothers couldn't hear and both yelled of the other man to tell them where she is.

"She's gone... she died from child birth with my youngest son, Petra over there." Art said, pointing at his son that was a few feet away. The wolf pack near by started growling, showcasing their sharp canines at the strangers. Neth hissed and they started to cower. The gray creatures then were rushing towards Art, seeking comfort in their leader's presence, and bumping their cold noses against Art's hands. The thick eyebrowed man stroked the length of their noses, trying to fool them into thinking everything would be okay. The animals didn't seem to by it and whined for him to leave.

"I'm sorry old friends, but I have to do this."

"No, you don't have to go through with this Art." Su said, his voice dripping with concern.

"Yes, I must do this. What I did was wrong and I knew the consequences of such actions-"

"But Bell grew to love you Art. It's no longer a crime." Tino tried to reason.

"No, it was a crime when I kidnapped her and took her from her family. It was a crime when she begged for me to bring her back. Love cannot erase the fact that what I did was wrong." Art turned to Su. "If I am harmed, please take care of the tribe until Alf is ready. Will you do that for me old friend?" Su bowed his head and nodded, not wanting anyone to see the tears in his eyes. Tino held Su, trying to ease him of what was to come.

The two brothers and Art came close, each pulling out a small knife. Art glared at both of them and charged first, going after the older man. Neth dodged and Bourg took this as an opportunity to take his own charge toward Art. The thick eyebrowed man sliced his dagger up; colliding with Bourg's and making it fly into the air. Art's then jump kicked the young man in the face, making him land on his back groaning in pain. He caught the knife and tried to attack Neth again. The clashing sound of the curved weapons made the tension in the air thick. Kiku couldn't hold back any longer and drew his weapon out, but Luwd stopped him. The Asian man stared at the large man, begging him to let him save his friend but Luwd wouldn't let him. The dark haired man glanced at the others with the same plead, but they all had their heads down except for Petra. They all knew that they must respect Art's wants. This was Art's fight and they must accept whatever happens.

Bourg got up, rubbing the tender cheek that was struck. He searched for his knife but then saw it was in Art's right hand. The pale blonde got up and went back to attacking anyways. Even though he didn't have a cutting instrument, that didn't mean that he wasn't dangerous. If it were any normal person, they would have gotten dizzy from defending against the assaults of two people, but Art was not normal. His keen eye sight helped him track the swift movements of his opponents, allowing him to be both on the offense and defense. Neth's hot breath was white against the cold hair, his muscles tensing from the energy he needed to try to kill this man. Bourg saw this and tried to distract Art by talking about the oldest son they had seen earlier.

"You better beat us quick old man, your loser son with my eyes is waiting for you to carry his pathetic form home."

"What have you done to my son you bastard?" Art yelled, slicing with even more fury. In his rage, there was a weak spot and Neth was able to get a quick punch with his free hand. Art winced but retaliated. His knife slashed into Neth's arm, causing a deep laceration. All three of them continued delivering blows, no one wanting to give up their goal. For the brothers, their goal was killing the man that took their sister, but for Art, it was to live through this battle.

But sadly, the brothers won.

Neth stabbed his weapon into Art's abdomen. The shorter man gasped, clutching his wounded area and dropping both weapons. Bourg plucked them before they hit the ground and helped his brother murder him. Art only winced, never crying out in pain. Petra cried and ran toward them, pulling against Neth's arm and pleading with him to not hurt his father. Neth felt pity for the boy and only let Bourg stab Art twice before ordering him to stop. When the younger and revenge hungry brother didn't stop, Neth slapped him across the face so hard that he plummeted into the snow. Bourg nodded and left Art alone, backing away a couple of steps.

"This means goodbye Art."

"Yeah... I know..." Those were Art's last words as his eyes grew dull and death enveloped him.

End of Chapter 4

AH! O_O England... please forgive me!

I don't know if anyone actually wants to review, but if you don't I don't blame you.


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